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hellooooo! may i request a professor sycamore (from pokemon) x reader fanfic?

this is my idea:

the reader helps the children (serena, calem, tierno, trevor, shauna) in guiding their way in the gym challenge. they are best friends with both sycamore and lysandre. of course, the reader also gets involved in all the chaos the kids causes/gets in, and that includes the whole team flare situation. when they discovered lysandre was about to use the ultimate weapon, the reader tries to talk lysandre into stopping it with the help of sycamore. this is when their plan fails and lysandre proceeded to activate the ultimate weapon, making the reader severely injured. sycamore was not as injured as the reader since they needed to be rushed to the hospital. they almost needed life support because of it.

aftermath: this is where bandaged sycamore tells the reader that they have been in a coma for (you decide how long) and talked to the reader about lysandre's intentions. the reader began to regret their decisions while sycamore tried to talk them out of it and say that they did the right thing. you can decide what happens next!

[note! the reader is around the same age as sycamore and lysandre and the reader is gender-neutral]

- sorry for the many specifications, i just love sycamore so much :[

that's all, i hope you can make my request come true! ♡

Of course you can! I had so much fun writing this, so thanks for the request! I hope you like it!

One Spark

Warnings: Angst, strong language, hospital, injury, medication, military references, trauma, alcohol.

Other Notes: Lysandre's Holo Caster message in italics is from the X and Y games.

Like a piece of string unfurling your shoulders begin to soften as you scan the street, seeing only the peace of civilians as they go about their lives with their cherished Pokémon by their side. They are conducting business, visiting the city as tourists or trainers or chatting in one of many of Lumiose City's cafés. The pavements are awash with rain droplets from the night before, but the sun's warmth is making them fade and encouraging the song of the Fletchling who flit about the eaves.

You don't know what you'd been expecting as you continue to stare-a wall of placards being held up in front of Prism Tower perhaps, a spark of violence, much to your regret you don't know where it had originated from and then a flame after something had spooked your Rapidash-a Pokémon that was still very much in its training phase and that you would not have used if your aging Musdale hadn't still been recovering from an illness-which you'd been sat astride of, the National Guard you'd been part of helping the police, a flame in front of your face and then nothing more than a falling sensation, pain and darkness.

You blink, remembering the depressingly white room you'd left in the city's hospital that morning and grip your camouflage holdall a little tighter. You feel some strain in your shoulder.

Around you people get on with their daily life, not understanding the unpleasantness of the memories that are racing through you or the sad ache at having to leave your beloved career behind-your shoulder injury making it impossible to carry on. A seed of bitterness joins the others that had been planted during your stay in hospital-for of all things to end your career it had not been something heroic, something you can at least feel proud of such as protecting someone else from injury, but a simple operation assisting the police during a protest that had gotten quickly out of hand. Something that had left you feeling humiliated and a target for some good natured ribbing from your former colleagues. Yet though they'd meant well the entire thing had left you feeling more depressed.

You swallow and force your feet onwards, not used to giving your emotions as much space as they have had lately and trying to wrestle them back into their Poké Ball as you would an unruly Pokémon.

The sight of the Sycamore Pokémon Lab soothes you somewhat, though the sudden appearance of a Garchomp exiting from it and ploughing towards you makes your shoulders stiffen in their now familiar way, before you realize who it is.

Gabby cradles you gently with her claws once she reaches you, having heard about and sensing your injury, before she steps back and studies you with an enquiring tilt of her head.

"Merci." You stretch out a hand towards her, touching her snout softly, even though your hands are calloused and well used.

A moment later the pair of you look towards the lab at the sound of an exclamation and hurried footsteps.

A man with wavy dark hair is pulling on a lab coat. His head is turned away, but suddenly, and as he gets the coat properly on at last, it swings in your direction.

His grey eyes soften at the sight of you and his pace increases.

Within a few strides he has joined you and in the next moment you are being enveloped inside his arms. Your eyes close and you allow yourself to lean against him for a moment, feeling his stubble against your cheek and savouring the safety and the warmth the embrace causes you to feel, before you pull away from the hug.

The end of the physical contact doesn't last for long however-within seconds he is prising your fingers away from the bag and taking it himself.

"Please allow me," he says as your eyes meet.

"As charming as ever Augustine." You offer him a wry smile. He returns it with a crooked one of his own and you try to ignore the way your heart leaps like a missile inside your chest at the sight of it. He leads you with a bit of a bounce in his step to the lab. "I am truly grateful to you for putting me up like this," you tell him, but he waves it away with a dismissive hand.

"It is nothing, no? What are friends for if they cannot help you out at a time like this?" He looks back at you.

The reminder of your circumstances has you looking off to the side shamefully and you do not catch Augustine who looks at you worriedly.

Gabby follows the pair of you into the lab, making a little snuffling sound as she goes.

You nod to the familiar receptionist-Marjorie-that you pass on the way to the elevator, noticing that, as always, she has her Charizard nearby. You relax slightly when the door shuts, leaving you with Augustine and Gabby in the small, cooler and darker space, but you feel as if Augustine would like to say so many things to you so you don't let go of the rigid tension that is inside your body completely.

Eventually he decides to ask you gently, "Are you still in pain?"

You meet his eyes and they quiver for a moment as if he is afraid of the answer, before they grow steady again and as constant as his friendship has been to you over the years. You weigh up your options, before, deciding that you'll probably be found out anyway, you say, "Oui, a little, I am still taking medication for it anyway." He studies you still and you get the feeling that he knows the mental pain is worse than anything that could have been dosed out to you physically.

The elevator door opens and you step out first, feeling a bit of relief to be away from Augustine's prying eyes.

Augustine guides you past the small living space that is filled with books and science papers, some of them are open on the coffee table, the kitchen, which has a plate of canelé [your favourite] on one of the counters and the distinct smell of strong coffee, which floats through it and through another door that leads into a spacious, but neatly furnished bedroom. He drops the bag at his feet and it lands with a thud. You frown at the neat double bed with its purple grey duvet for a moment, before you look at him. "I thought I would be taking the sofa?" That is what you have done on your occasional stays here before.

Augustine looks a little bit awkward for a moment. "Because of what has happened"- He waves an aimless hand and doesn't quite meet your eyes, perhaps afraid of what you might say.

"Thank you," you tell him after a small hesitation, feeling touched that he is even willing to sacrifice his own bed to accomodate your injury, especially when you know that he is busy himself.

He claps you on your good shoulder as if to say that it is nothing. "I will leave you to get settled. Feel free to join us for a drink and something to eat when you are ready. Come Gabby."

His beloved Garchomp gives a small nudge to your cheek with her snout, makes a crooning noise and then dutifully follows her partner out.

Your head still swirling with the unexpected kindness you lift the bag up from where he had left it and drop it on to the bed, marvelling at what an effect even that small movement has on your shoulder. Ever the good patient you touch at your injury over your clothes, huff out a frustrated breath and undo the zip of the bag, staring down at your meagre contents, but not making an effort to pull any of them out.

In the background a toilet flushes and you don't think anything much of it at first until you hear the sound of a door opening, the familiar clomp of boots and then soft voices murmuring urgently together-you get the feeling that they are talking about you and the hairs on the back of your neck prickle uncomfortably.

You go towards the door in a stealthy creep. Unfortunately the talking ceases as soon as you reach it. The sound of footsteps return and then, in the next minute, the door you are by swings open to reveal your other best friend-Lysandre.

The tall, bearded, flame-haired man looks at you appraisingly for a moment and then nods as if he is satisfied. You straighten automatically as he studies you. [You're normally pretty upright, but your shoulder injury has caused a bit of a stoop.]

Finally he says, "Can I pick your brains after?"

It is a familiar thing that you would do together, talking about battle and strategy and business sometimes too-your father is a famous businessman and you've absorbed some of it through just being around him-for hours on end and at the thought of it, the feeling of this final piece of home clicking into place, you nod keenly despite the pain it brings to your shoulder and an old spark returns to your eyes.

----

You get into a routine at the lab.

You wake, often with your face pressed into the pillow, which has Augustine's scent lingering on it despite the fact that he had clearly changed the sheets and on the side of the bed that he would sleep on-your eyes dart to the door every time you realize you are in such a way, but thankfully it is always in the same manner you had left it the previous night. Your stomach will still feel warm and full of the wine that had been consumed. A wine glass is often left on the bedside table alongside your pain relief and the sleeping pills you take to try and free you from your nightmares as well as a tattered old thriller novel that you re-read whenever you are in a bit of a slump. A framed photo of Augustine and Gabby is the only other thing that is there, on the bedside table, having been left there by Augustine. Every time you see it, it makes guilt twist inside your stomach-you know that Augustine would probably not approve of you taking sleeping pills on top of your other medication, but you don't feel as if you have any other choice and so slug it down all the same.

You visit your Pokémon-Rapidash and Musdale-which you'd released into the basement of the lab on your first day there, it having been converted into a bright and rich environment that is bigger on the inside for all Pokémon to prosper [after all your inactivity it had been a relief to see them getting exercise and mixing with the other Pokémon.]

After doing that and unless anything needs doing at the lab you'll take a stroll into the city, parts of which have been affected by a power shortage, so, avoiding those bits you often end up at the café Lysandre runs and have lunch there, before you while away the afternoon over coffee, talking endlessly with your best friend.

You return to the lab together and meet back up with Augustine, before the three of you will most likely head out to a restaurant for drinks and lavish food and you end the day with a nightcap in Augustine's apartment.

That is the cycle of things until one day they change again.

Everything starts off the same-you wake, push down the uncomfortable feelings you don't want to study because yes, you are breathing in Augustine's scent again, take some pain relief to see you through the first few hours of the day, greet the world and Augustine, act suitably aloof in front of the flirting that some members of the lab bless you with because you are not mentally capable of having a relationship with anyone right now-you don't notice the way Augustine scowls at them or chides them in his head that they should leave you alone-and go and visit your Pokémon.

You partially feed them by hand and feel better after patting and spending time with them even if it is only in a replicated natural environment.

You bounce back up to the lab, taking pleasure from the fact that though it is still painful you seem to have more movement in your shoulder today and that is when things begin to alter.

You hear a sound that makes you feel excited-the noise of an ensuing Pokémon battle-and following it around the partition where Augustine has his desk leads you to see him battling a young girl. There are a group of other children watching near by and you lean against the side of the partition to watch yourself, trying to be casual about the whole thing. The girl's Froakie is taking on Augustine's Charmander. Augustine's eyes flick to you and though you sense that it is more of an educational battle than anything else you wonder if it is merely wishful thinking that Augustine seems to have an increased sense of determination after seeing you there.

After the battle [the girl won] Augustine allows her the pick of the three starter Pokémon from Kanto that they had just battled with. She picks Bulbasaur and Augustine gives her a Mega Stone, which the girl can use when Bulbasaur eventually evolves into Venasaur.

The children chatter excitedly about the battle, whilst Augustine and you lock eyes. He looks suddenly mischievious and that makes you feel nervous. He breaks the eye contact and waves a hand at you, addressing the children when he says, "If you want to continue to get better at battling then you should talk to my friend here, there is no one better at strategy."

The children all turn to goggle at you and you feel awkward-partially at what Augustine had said and at the assumption that you have anything to offer these children who are presumably just getting started with their Pokémon journeys. You might be good at theory and ideas, but you don't often battle yourself-only when you need to-and more than that, with your failed career, you are hardly a good role model for these children you think, nor someone who feels naturally comfortable with young adults, never knowing what to say.

Augustine fills the gap, introducing you to Serena-the girl who had just defeated him in battle-Calem, Tierno, Trevor and Shauna. He explains that they are at the beginning of their journeys just as you had suspected. Tierno loves to dance and you make an awkward joke about him not breaking any of the paintings that Augustine has hanging around the walls of his office, which seems to make them laugh and endear you to them. [Augustine looks particularly smug about this and you nearly give him the middle finger, before you remember whose company you are in and decide not to.] Trevor wishes to fill up his Pokédex and you find yourself promising that you will introduce him to your Pokémon some time, which again has Augustine grinning. Serena and Calem both show a want to battle competitively and Shauna doesn't seem quite sure what she wants to do, but she likes puzzles which you find interesting and appears to be a good friend to the others, which again wins your favour.

The children quiz you a bit about your friendship with Augustine and somehow you end up standing next to him with his side pressed tight against yours and his arm gently around your waist, whilst you laugh and reminisce. ["They looked after me after I tried rollerblading once. It did not go well," Augustine informs the children to much laughter and you smirk at the memory, before you feel warm as you remember how you'd patched Augustine up, even though you'd been quite methodical about it at the time. You cough lightly and Augustine lessens his grip on you in concern, before you assure him that you are all right and inwardly chide yourself. The children look between the pair of you curiously.]

"In any case," Augustine goes on, knowing that you would not want the children to know about your injury or what had led to it and wanting to respect that no matter what his own personal feelings are on the matter, "They are the one you should go to in a pickle."

The children nod and seem to take his words seriously, but you do not expect to see much of them again, let alone be in a position where you help them. So it is to your surprise when Augustine comes running up to you one morning when you are with Musdale and Rapidash-Rapidash, as flighty as ever, bolts at the sudden appearance, its flames a jagged scar across the landscape-and breathlessly stops before you. You lift an eyebrow-Augustine looks delighted about something and that makes you nervously wonder what is going on.

"Mon ami, it is brilliant!"

"Uh huh." You still ponder about what is going occurring.

"Serena just called and she wants your advice. She is in Cyllage City. Struggling with her strategy for the next Gym."

Your logical mind is already activating. "That's the Gym with rock types?" you ask.

"Oui, oui," Augustine nods happily. "I thought she wanted me to evaluate her Pokédex, but she clearly only wanted you. You must have made quite the impression, no?"

Finally you have to smile at your friend's enthusiasm. "I'll call her." You get her Holo Caster-an invention created through Lysandre Labs, which is another project of Lysandre's-details from Augustine who practically skips away to let you have your privacy. You can't help but grin at his retreating back and it feels like a small, but no less important triumph when Serena earns her second Gym badge after following your advice, even calling you as soon as it happens, not just to thank you, but to offer you a play-by-play of the battle she'd had. [Augustine whistles a joyful tune in the background as you take the call, pottering about the kitchen for once as you will both be eating at home that night and Augustine had insisted he'd cook for you.]

"She mentioned something about a group calling themselves Team Flare?" you recall to Augustine over your Bouillabaisse. [Both of you are sat by the small table and facing one another, thankfully not on stools that you'd talked Augustine out of getting when he'd first gotten the apartment, the man was too clumsy for such things.] "Met them in Glittering Cave. They were searching for fossils. She didn't seem to have much trouble with them, but should we be concerned?"

"I would not worry," Augustine waves a dismissive hand, chewing his mouthful. "I have seen the odd one around this very city, but like you say"-he swallows-"If a trainer on the beginning of their journey can handle them then they are not exactly a threat, no?"

"I guess." You still feel a bit uncomfortable and Augustine seems to sense such a thing.

"Do not worry yourself mon ami." He covers your hand momentarily with his and the logical, alert side of your brain that is always looking for threats seems to malfunction like a piece of miltary technology targeted by the opposition. "I am sure that this Team Flare business is just going to turn out to be a phase for these people. Just let us celebrate you becoming someone those kids can look up to"-

"I still won't"- you begin to interrupt him stubbornly, but Augustine lifts a placating hand.

"No, I know." He meets your eyes. "And you know my feelings on that-I do not think anyone, especially not those children, would judge you badly for what happened. You were trying to protect the peace of this city, you were doing your job. I think the kids would look up to you even more if they knew." His gaze is steady. "But it is up to you. It is your story to tell. I just hope"-the meal finished he lays down the napkin-"You aren't ashamed of the best part of yourself. That's all." He slides out from his seat and takes his empty crockery away, leaving you with the mess of yours and a lot to dwell upon.

----

Still, for a while time goes on. Calem lets you know that Team Flare were in Geosenge Town-you hope that Augustine is right, but have told all the kids to be on their guard around them and report back to you any sightings. [Augustine is both endeared by your typical behaviour and, you suspect, of the opinion that you are going over the top about the group.]

You have become an additional mentor of sorts to all of the children. Tierno had taken the opportunity when you had called to warn him about Team Flare to ask about how he can create a team of Pokémon that are not only good dancers, but capable of performing in sync together. [The pair of you had talked about the Pokémon he already has and the Pokémon that he might encounter as he continues his journey, so that he can keep growing his current team's strengths, but bear in mind how he might be able to cover any weaknesses moving forward.] You'd shown Trevor your Pokémon via Holo Caster-you know it is not as good as him seeing them in person, but he'd been thrilled nonetheless. Whilst you'd let Shauna in a little bit on your time in the National Guard, reassuring her that you'd fallen into it more than known from a very young age that was what you wanted to do, you having joined the army initially, and that it is far from too late for her to still come across a goal for herself. Serena had continued to go to you for advice on her Gym battles and you'd helped her win her third badge from the fighting-type Gym in Shalour City.

You know that Augustine had also continued to be in contact with them and was particularly excited when they had used Mega Evolution for the first time-you'd gotten through a shared bottle of red wine that night and Lysandre had joined you, also happy about the children's progress.

But mostly, and credit has to go to the children really, you embrace healthier habits. You have lost the weight that you'd put on when you'd first arrived in the city, only take your pain medication when you feel it is necessary and have stopped relying on the sleeping pills. Your thriller book has been discarded and you don't have an empty wine glass by your bedside any more. You know that it can't be true, but you think that Augustine and Gabby's smiles in the framed photograph beside your bed have gotten wider every time you look at it.

Then things had changed again.

"I am glad that Calem and Serena are all right"-the pair had been caught up in a fight at the Power Plant-"But this means that Team Flare have been targeting crucial infrastructure." It had been Team Flare who were responsible for the recent blackouts effecting the city. "Surely that worries you?" You stride after Augustine who is walking quickly through the second floor of the lab.

Augustine exhales and turns around to face you. "Like you say Calem and Serena are unharmed and Prism Tower is able to be re-lit, which is a great thing for us all." You stare at him in frustration. His gaze turns sympathetic and he closes the gap between you, touching lightly at your shoulders with his hands. "I think we should focus on the positives and not become obsessed with this." You wrench your mouth open. He holds up a hand. "It is clear, yes, that they are more of a group who we need to keep an eye on than I had first thought, but, as far as we know, the threat is over and until we have any evidence of any future plans"-

"They are just kids, Augustine! Are you truly saying that we should let them fight Arceus knows what and just hear about it second-hand like we have been doing?"

Something dangerous flashes in Augustine's eyes and he lets go of you a little roughly, so much so that your shoulder gives a little twinge and as your face creases with a sudden pain Augustine looks regretful. He tries to keep himself composed as he goes on, "You are all right?"

You nod stubbornly.

"You know I care about them. Know that I have taken great pleasure in their successes and tried to advise them the best that I can when they are struggling. I know that you would have liked to have been at the Power Plant"-

"What are you saying?" You fold your arms, begging him to just get to the point.

He pinches at his nose and inhales, before he exhales again. Meets your eyes. "I am just telling you not to pick a fight with a creature whose strengths we do not yet know"-

"No, you'll just leave that to the children," the words come out before you can stop them, but they burn your friend immediately.

Augustine throws you the dirtiest, most furious look you have received from him in a long while, before he throws his hands up in the air as if he has had enough and walks away.

You have a mad urge to go after him, to argue your point, indeed you have not fought this way since you were very young adults, but instead you take a deep breath, ignore the stares of the workers at the lab who have been gawking at the display you'd both just put on and skulk off to your other best friend instead-Lysandre.

He is at his café and once you have finished your rant and finally taken a breath he looks at you studiously from behind the counter.

"This is the type of thing that would not happen in the world I want to create," he says and you glance at him, your hand curled around a drink, "That world would be beautiful. There would be no hurt or ill feelings between any one, no war and you would not have had to go through what you have done in your life."

"Yes, well, until such a world exists what would you advise?" you ask him flippantly, finishing off your drink in a few gulps. He continues to stare at you and you have no idea what is going through his head in that moment. "I couldn't stay here with you? It will be bloody chilly in that apartment later, that's for sure."

At this Lysandre laughs and you look at him in surprise. "You forget that I have seen you have these, apparently large bust-ups"-he makes air quotations with his fingers around the word, 'apparently,'-"Before and then, in a matter of hours or days seen things be resolved as if they never happened in the first place. That is why it is pointless really, these arguments of yours, and in a perfect world, my world…" You start to zone out, wondering if things really will be over as quickly as that.

Of course they are not.

You get back to the lab with a feeling of hopeful trepidation inside your stomach, but as soon as the receptionist-Marjorie-beckons you over, before you can take the elevator, your heart sinks.

"How bad is it?" you ask, whilst her Charizard shuffles its position beside her.

"The professor is walking around like an Ursaring with a sore head." You wince. "No one can do anything right at the moment. I wouldn't go up there right now."

"Right, thanks for your advice." Feeling deflated you nod and turn tail, staying out late and only returning to the apartment after Augustine has already taken his position on the sofa for the night-you feel glad that you are still able to take his bed and that he hasn't taken refuge under the duvet. The fact that he is still being kind in that way towards you makes you feel a hopeful sort of promise.

But few words pass between you and the atmosphere is tense, so much so that you start relying on sleeping pills again and take more medication than you have been doing for your shoulder, which has started playing up more and more since the argument. You spend as little time in the lab as possible and begin to wonder if you should find somewhere else to stay.

One day Shauna rings you on the Holo Caster. "Right," she says, "What is going on?" You look off to the side.

"What do you mean?" you try and buy some more time, but only end up feeling like a petulant child and embarrassed that you are showing this side of you in front of her.

"I mean that the others might be slow on the uptake, but don't think I haven't noticed the way that Professor Sycamore is moody and glum these days or that the advice you've been giving us is the bare minimum and you don't ever sound excited when you talk to us. Is something going on between you? It's not a lover's tiff is it?"

"No, of course not," you get out hurriedly, feeling suddenly hot around the collar. "We've just had a-a difference of opinion that's all."

"Well, sort it out."

You wish that it was that simple.

"You agree with me though, don't you?" you find yourself saying to Lysandre when you talk to him at the café again. He looks at you to elaborate. "That we, as adults, should be taking the lead on this sort of thing and not leaving it to the children to sort out?"

"Oh, not this again." He walks away from you, no doubt fed up with being the middle man in between Augustine and you.

You sigh into your drink, apparently no one is on your side and after an incident with Team Flare at the Poké Ball factory that Shauna, Serena and Calem deal with the tension between Augustine and you only seems to ratchet up further-with Augustine seeming to have the same opinion that the problem of Team Flare is out of his control and you, for the sake of the children if nothing else, wanting him to take a tougher stance on things or at least agree that if either of you get the chance to intervene before the children can then you should.

It is a message that finally brings Augustine and you back together again.

A clip that you receive on your Holo Caster to be precise when you are wandering around a drizzly Lumiose City one evening-having taken refuge in an alleyway-in your attempts to avoid Augustine.

It is Lysandre and at first you open your mouth to greet him, before you realize, due to the people that have stopped all around you, that everyone is getting the same message.

"Pokémon Trainers. I come to you by the Holo Caster to make an important announcement. Listen well. Team Flare will revive the ultimate weapon, eliminate everyone who isn't in our group, and return the world to a beautiful, natural state. Unproductive fools are consuming our future… If nothing changes, the world will become ugly and conflicts will raze the land from end to end. I repeat. We will use the ultimate weapon and wipe the slate clean. I'm sorry, those of you who are not members of Team Flare, but this is adieu to you all."

For a moment your body and mind seem to freeze up entirely, the blood rushes through your ears because it can't be true, it just can't be and then one name comes to you like a heart beat: Augustine.

You race back to the lab, your body instinctively knowing where to turn and which way is quicker in the vast city.

You have just made it to the reception when the elevator opens, revealing Augustine who has a piece of toast in his mouth and who is pulling on a light blue jumper.

For a moment you both stop and stare at one another. Then you both move instinctively and urgently towards one another.

"Dieu merci," Augustine throws down his piece of toast carelessly on the floor, the honey oozing out from underneath it and looks at you, "You are safe? You are safe?" he checks. You nod. "And now, what will we do? Lysandre, I-well-I can't believe it! Did you see this coming? But no you wouldn't have or you would have"-

"Non, but I worry that I might have accelerated it," you cut off his rambling and explain to him quickly about how Lysandre had lost interest in the argument between the pair of you and how you worry that the negativity betwen you both had just re-enforced Lysandre's apparently very serious idea of making a perfect world.

"None of this is your fault," Augustine says loyally, but you cannot help but feel guilty for the flippant way you'd reacted to Lysandre's words about a perfect world before. "It is not"- he tries to reassure you again, but you have a sudden thought.

"The children!" You meet Augustine's eyes and he looks alarmed by your urgency. "If they got the message then they will probably come straight here." You begin to whirl around, but are prevented from going any further by a hand around your wrist. You look back, the remnants of your argument making you feel a flash of anger, but it quickly fades when you see the fear on your friend's face. You face him properly again, touch at his cheek with your free hand. "This is the moment, Augustine, you must understand that. The moment where we must act. If the children go to the café in order to confront Lysandre"-you fight for a moment to not let the swirl of emotions when you say that name take over you-"We must get there first. It could be dangerous for them." 'Now we know who he really is,' goes unsaid, but you know that Augustine understands, that he is probably the only one in the entire world who knows what you are going through in that moment.

"I-I"- He is still paralysed by fright.

"We have to Augustine!" you plead with him, on the urge of leaving for the café yourself anyway if he cannot bring himself to go with you.

"But you don't even have your Pokémon with you!" he says, and you have to admit that, that is a good point.

So, after letting out a growl of frustration you say, "Bring Gabby and whoever else you think might be good. Meet me back here in ten!" You sprint off, ignoring your shoulder and Augustine calling you as you go.

You round up Rapidash and Musdale-of all the times they'd had to be in the far flung meadow environment! And finally, sweaty and already out of breath, make it back to the reception.

Augustine is already there, standing next to Marjorie the receptionist and looking grim. "You need to see this," he tells you.

Warily and already expecting the worst you join them.

Marjorie presses a button on her Holo Caster and you watch a news report about the ultimate weapon having appeared in Geosenge Town, leaving devastation in its wake, with only a few buildings left standing.

Augustine and you exchange a glance and there is more resolve on his face this time as if he knows there is no stopping you now and he wouldn't ever want to let you down.

With a greater amount of satisfaction inside you, you turn your attention back to the receptionist. "Marjorie, do you think we could borrow Charizard?"

----

If the situation hadn't been so dire then you might have focused on Augustine's arms being wrapped tightly around your middle or the brush from the stubble on his jaw that you feel against your cheek every time you move your head on the flight, but all you can think about is where you need to go, whilst you chant a mantra in your head about getting there in time and before any one else can get injured, especially the children.

When you land, trying not to dwell on how much worse everything looks up close, you thank Charizard and tell it to keep watch outside, telling it in particular not to let any children in and to be wary of the defeated Team Flare grunt who scowls at both Augustine and you. You can only hope that he wasn't defeated by the children and rather by a diligent adult in the local community, though you are dreading the worst and can tell that Augustine is doing the same-as soon as you enter he quickens his pace.

As you go, moving down to the basement, you come across many defeated Team Flare members, some of them grunts like the one you'd seen outside and some of them of a higher-rank-some of them swear and get in your face, others seem to want to battle again, even though their Pokémon are far from fully recovered. Augustine diffuses the tension and keeps you moving. [By this time both of you are sure that at least some of the children are here, for you are pretty sure that a diligent member of the community couldn't have gotten this far on their own and just a simple reminder by Augustine in your ear of them has you on your way again and leaving the battlefield behind.]

It still takes you a while to be where you need to be however and just before you reach the basement chamber, where you can hear some kind of commotion going on, it is your turn to stop Augustine. Yanked back by your hand upon his wrist he looks back at you, his eyes questioning why you have stopped him at this moment when the pair of you are so near your goal.

"If the children are there and it comes down to it that you must get them out alone then you mustn't hesitate"-

"I"- his eyes swim with emotion and you know what he is feeling-the continuation of his friendship with Lysandre is uncertain, he cannot lose you too. You know this because you are thinking the same about him.

"Promise me." Strong and steady you cup at his jaw and eventually he nods into the shell of your hands, his eyes wide and afraid.

With that settled you enter the basement chamber, your back tall and straight, ready to face whatever is in front of you.

"RUN!" Serena, Calem and Shauna race towards you the moment you are inside, their voices joining as one as Lysandre's just spoken words about there being enough power for the ultimate weapon to still be used once echo around you all.

You square your shoulders and keep moving forwards, feeling better as the children pass you and for the fact that right at this very moment Augustine is probably herding them out. If you can just keep Lysandre talking until everyone escapes you will take whatever fate has in store for you-

But then Augustine steps right beside you.

"What are you doing?" you can't help but hiss at the professor-his belief in his charges has always been admirable, but sometimes you can't help but wish he would just do as you say, for his presence might make you feel less alone, but it also fills you with fear. What if you can't get him out?

He looks back at you steady and sure, as if he knows exactly what is going through your mind in that moment, and he probably does, but as if his place is by your side and that he trusts that the children, having gotten themselves this far, will be able to get themselves out without any difficulty. His fingers wriggle between you and you let out a huff of exasperation, before you take his hand anyway, cursing all the sentiment you feel for him in that moment.

Lysandre lets out a soft snort, attracting your attention. "You made up then. Do you see how pointless your arguments are now?"

"Why have you let things get this far Lysandre?"

"Oui, surely it does not have to come down to this? Let us talk"-

"The time is over for talk Augustine," Lysandre snarls, "People want more and more. I cannot allow resources to become so scarce that struggle, war and despair are the only things that fill the world, surely you can understand that?" He looks at you in particular now.

You take a deep breath and swallow, struggling to realign the person who used to be so helpful and caring with the man in front of you now and wanting your words in this moment to be enough. Augustine's hand squeezes yours lightly. Still holding on to him you step forward, looking straight into Lysandre's eyes. "I understand that I would not be the person I am without everything I have been through. That includes the negative things. My injury may have ended my career, but it brought me back to the people who mean the most to me. That still includes you, Lysandre. I have slowly been finding a new purpose for myself and maybe that will lead to a new career, maybe you could help me?" Something wavers in Lysandre's eyes and Augustine's hand twitches nervously like a heart beat against yours. "When you have talked about wanting a beautiful and unspoilt world before I haven't taken you seriously and that is my fault. I apologize. I didn't realize how much it meant to you. Now I do maybe that can be both of our purposes-to help people and to lessen the bad things in this world, but not like this. There are other ways Lysandre. Making the spaces in our city work better for both Pokémon and people alike, using technology to make people's lives easier and to more equally distribute resources. Donating the excess profits we have to help others. I am sure that between us we could come up with a successful way forwards, one that does not mean the destruction of any one who isn't in Team Flare."

"And I would support you both all the way," Augustine says loyally.

Lysandre looks between the pair of you for a moment, before his eyes settle on you again. "It was a pretty speech, but that is all it is." You shake your head once automatically, before you get a hold of yourself and manage to stop. "I cannot believe for one moment that our efforts would be anything other than futile and us swimming against the tide of all the selfish people who would attempt to thwart us. It wouldn't work…and the bottom line is I have already decided that the time for speech is over, weren't you listening to what I told Augustine before?"

You know that he is about to activate the weapon without even having to see it and you turn your attention to Augustine. You wrench your hand free from his and shove him towards the exit. He looks back to see that you are following and then he runs.

Together you wind your way back up to the first level, your shoes clattering against the floor with a hard fear inside your chest, focusing only on the back of Augustine's head right in front of you and how close you are to getting out. Every now and again you urge him to keep going.

Just before you reach the door that leads outside-you can see a glimpse of the ominous looking sky-he turns back to you, as if to check that you are still there with him. With frantic hands you push him forwards, feeling one last moment of his steady warmth close to you, before he slips out and you feel like you can almost breathe again. He takes a couple of steps forwards, before he turns around to face you.

You scream at him to keep going and follow him out.

Your heart leaps-you are almost there, the pair of you almost safe.

At your encouragement Augustine runs, trying to get clear from the area. Eyes on his back because you don't want him to fall clumsily now you try and do the same, but suddenly there is a silence so deep that it feels like you are underwater and then a loud, whooshing noise has you rooted to the spot and all you see is something that your senses just about recognize as the crush of brown earth, before you become very much acquainted with a black nothingness and then know no more.

----

Your body re-ignites slowly.

There is one spark. One twitch of a hand. Your ears hear the odd string of words that you cannot put together by voices you know are familiar but still can't work out. You are sure you see the children. Just their faces. One by one. Swimming in front of your own. Serena. Calem. Shauna. Trevor. Tierno. If it is not real then it must be a dream. Sometimes you hear their voices too, but you hear Augustine's one the most. See his face. Your body tries to have all your senses working at the same time, your mind tries to push you back completely into consciousness as if you are rising from that fucking basement all over again whenever you become aware of him, but it doesn't work until one day.

One day when your eyes slowly flicker open and you let out a groan from all the effort and the pain that you suddenly become aware of-your shoulder feels shattered all over again and you are aching. [You think that at least a couple of your ribs are broken and Arceus knows what else.]

There is a bandaged hand curled around yours and then your name is whispered like a flame-again and again it hits your cheek.

Augustine suddenly comes into view, hovering above what you now realize is your hospital bed. You let out a further impatient moan at having returned to such a place.

But Augustine is there, whispering soothing words and you quieten down until you are just staring at him. The skin beneath his eyes is worn and darker as if he has not been sleeping much. There is more stubble around his jaw as if shaving is a low priority. The hand that is not still by yours is in a sling and there are grazes on both his face and hands. Yet his eyes are as calming as they always have been when you look at him and there is a sudden lightness at the corners of his lips, something which you feel hasn't been there in a while.

"My precious Meowstic you are running out of lives," he murmurs affectionately. "Please don't scare me like that again."

You let out a grunt as if you can't promise him anything.

"I"-and now his face wobbles-"I thought I had lost you. The impact had me falling to the ground. That's how I broke my arm. By the time I got up and turned around you weren't there. You were buried beneath the rubble. If you had been any further back…Mon Dieu." He runs his hand through his hair and sits back down again. "I tried to get you out myself, but this arm was useless and I had to yell for assistance. I didn't want to leave the spot, I thought I might never find you again." You want to say that you believe that he'd always find you, but can't quite get your mouth in gear. "They took you straight here," Augustine goes on, "And when I got here they still weren't sure if you were going to make it. The wait made me feel as if I was beneath the rubble myself. You know I am no good in those situations." He waves his bandaged hand, looking shaky and still close to tears.

Again you try and say something to comfort him, but end up coughing instead, which results in Augustine quickly bolting up so that he can help you to have a few sips of water. He asks if you want him to fetch the nurse and you shake your head-you want to talk to him first- brushing the beads of water away from your lips roughly with the back of your hand and feeling frustrated as the IV line hinders your movement.

"How long was I out?" is what you eventually ask, your voice sounding gravelly from lack of recent use.

"Two weeks," is his response and you get the sense that he is desperately trying not to focus on what he has been through in those past two weeks and only focus on the fact that you are now awake. He is staring at you pretty hard, as if he is trying to memorize you. He sits back down again. "I don't know how much you remember?"

You think back. "I remember us trying to get away from there and suddenly everything changing…" It is your turn for your face to crumple and he touches at your hand comfortingly.

"Team Flare were stealing electricity from the Power Plant to charge the ultimate weapon." You think that, that explains all of the power cuts. "They got extra energy from the graves of Pokémon that fell when the ultimate weapon was used three-thousand years ago." You shake your head in disgust at such a thing. "Along with the power of the Legendary Pokémon that was enough for the ultimate weapon to re-surface." You open your mouth, worrying about this Pokémon, but Augustine quickly says, "Serena caught the Pokémon."

"Of course she did," you say, before you shake your head fondly, "Those damn kids."

Augustine's mouth twitches. "That drained most of the energy from the weapon, but that is when Lysandre vowed to still use the ultimate weapon once and when we arrived."

"Did they ever-?" He knows that you are asking if Lysandre has been recovered and he shakes his head. "It is almost like he never existed at all or as if he went to another universe." You don't know what to make of that. In the end you decide that you'll have to sort out your feelings for Lysandre in the future. It is too complicated and takes up far too much energy now. The only thing you know is that you should have done better. "You nearly got killed because I got distracted," you tell Augustine regretfully, thinking that he should not be by your bedside or wasting any more time on you, but you are thankful that he is.

"You are the reason that I am alive," he growls fervently, standing beside you again as if he won't stick around to hear such a thing.

"I failed you. I got so caught up in our stupid argument"-

"You were trying to keep the children safe. I was the one who was being stubborn. Who did not want to believe what a problem Team Flare were becoming, who did not see Lysandre for what he was and all the mistakes he was making until everyone else did and he announced it to the world"- he sounds bitter.

"But I didn't see it either and I've had training to spot these things. My training should have enabled me to talk Lysandre down"-

"He was decided," Augustine tells you firmly and you look at him in disbelief. "If anyone might have changed his mind then yes, it was us, his best friends, but we went and he was still decided." You look at him uncertainly, but now it is his mind that is made up. "I won't allow you to blame yourself for this. You blame yourself for too many things as it is, things that have nothing to do with you."

"All right." Your shoulders finally relax.

"It is settled then." His crooked grin is back. "You will rest, I will fetch the nurse and we will start to recover from this." As he bends to kiss you on the forehead his injured arm nearly hits you in the face and you can't help but laugh, though Augustine just worries. You reassure him that you are more than fine in that moment and as he goes off with a small smile and a bounce in his step you feel another spark.

One that might just start your life anew.

#one spark

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#one spark