Writer's block is evil. Sorry this chapter took so long.

Chapter 16 – The Market

Alain hadn't been too fond of of Mairin's Flabébé for a while now, but he was now starting to learn that she wasn't as bad as he thought.

Because Bébé was even worse.

The little devil was currently perched on Alain's shoulder, the stem of her little yellow flower tucked between the folds of his leather jacket. Many might find this endearing, but Alain was well aware that Bébé was being everything but sweet. The fairy type looked up at Alain, black eyes gleaming, and Alain glared back.

"Go back to Mairin," He snapped at the Flaébé as he gathered his things. "Our deal is up, you don't need to babysit me."

The Flabébé rolled her eyes, and didn't move.

Alain gritted his teeth, but he kept silent. His ankle was weakly throbbing, though he didn't say a word about it. Thanks to the girls he had already wasted two days at this point, well, closer to three– but Charizard's glare had been pretty convincing for him not to move. If they knew that his ankle still hurt at all they'd probably keep him cave-bound for another week.

He glanced down at his ankle as he rolled up his sleeping back– the redness fortunately completely gone. It was still swollen slightly, but only if you really focused on it. As long as he didn't show that he felt any pain then no one would notice.

"So," Mairin asked from the mouth from the cave. "When do we leave?"

Alain glanced back, still slightly startled with the fact that Mairin was talking to him now, even if it had been several days. He gave a small grunt in response, pushing himself to his feet, brushing off his pants. The cave they were in was fairly narrow, but tall enough for him to stand in.

"I will be leaving right away," Alain said. "You are going to stay here until I get back."

Mairin's eyes narrowed. "...Since when was that the plan?"

"I thought you didn't like the idea of the market," Alain said, shouldering his bag. He made sure that the strap barely missed Bébé– to send the message that it was time for her to get away from him. "Besides, it's not safe– you're not going."

"Just because I don't like the idea doesn't mean I'm not going," Mairin said, crossing her arms. Alain felt himself tensing, realizing another argument was coming their way.

Which was the last thing he wanted.

He was mentally exhausted, and Alain was truly starting to feel its effects. Each day it was getting harder and harder to bury his stress with working on surviving– especially since his forced rest. He was tense, he could feel it crawling under his skin, and he was afraid of it breaking out. When he was tense he got angry, and the last thing he wanted to do was take it out on Mairin.

And her stubbornness wasn't helping.

"Mairin," Alain said slowly. "I... I don't want you to get hurt. I've lead you into many dangerous situations before, and I don't want to do it again," His hands were twitching, working along the straps of the bag as he spoke. "It will be safer and quicker if only one person went, and... you're the one that took a risk last time. It's my turn."

"If I recall that 'last time' you came after me," Mairin replied. "So why shouldn't I come with you this time? Besides, if you want me to be safe I'd be safest with you– y-you remember what happened last time I was alone!"

Chills ran up Alain's back, remembering all to well the image of the gun being held to Mairin's head. A pulse of anger ran through him, bitterness towards the Rockets that had hurt her. He looked away, jaw gritting against his teeth. Mairin knew him too well– he couldn't just leave her here now that he had that horrible image back in his mind.

But he couldn't bring Mairin with him– that'd just be placing her at risk again.

"I'll leave my Pokemon with you," Alain said, speaking more to himself than to her. "They'll watch you, and I'll be back soon."

He heard Mairin take in a deep breath. "Is that how you see me now?" She snapped. "Just as something to be carried about and protected?!"

"I just don't want you to get hurt–" Alain began.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Alain!" Mairin cried back. "I'm almost fifteen– which is older than when you dealt with Team Flare! Was I reckless a few days ago? Yes! But was it for a good reason? Yes!" She took in a deep breath. "I'm not going to run off and do things just for the sake of taking risks, Alain. We're both in danger, and I want to help you!"

Alain glanced back at her, and she was staring down at the floor of the cave. "I can handle this, I don't need help."

Mairin looked up at him. "I... I want to help you..." She whispered, and she wrapped her arms around herself. "I... I don't to be useless or a burden..." She closed her eyes. "I don't want to be used like with those Rockets again!"

Alain's mouth went dry. "If you're here that won't happ–"

"I was alone last time it happened!" Mairin cried, and tears stung her eyes. Alain turned to face her, watching as her arms started shaking. Bébé jumped off of Alain's shoulder, floating over towards Mairin, landing on the base of her neck so she could press up against her trainer to comfort her. She cradled the small fairy type close, and she looked up at Alain. "I d-don't want to be alone again."

Alain's willpower crumbled as he watched her, his heart aching, and he looked away. "You... you can come."

Alain hated himself as he gave in– the whole purpose of this was to keep Mairin out of danger! But seeing her so distressed... it was almost worse... He couldn't force her into a situation that would remind her of the Rockets...

Mairin rushed up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He leaned back slightly in surprise, which shifted his entire weight onto his left ankle. It took everything he had not to let out a hiss of pain, however he stiffened up. Fortunately this was a common reaction of his when he was hugged unexpectedly, so Mairin didn't notice.

He wrapped one arm around the back of her neck, pulling her into a brief hug, before gently guiding her back. He let out a sigh of relief as his ankle was free from the pressure, but unfortunately the weight of knowing Mairin would be joining him on his excursion to an illegal market came over him instead.

"You may come," Alain said firmly, sitting up slightly. "Only if you promise that you'll do exactly what I say, no matter what– for both of our safety."

Mairin nodded. "Okay."

"Mairin, this is serious, we just can't–"

"I get it," Mairin said. "I'm not going to do anything stupid. The quicker we do this the sooner we can leave this stupid black market idea in the past," She took in a deep breath, sitting up. "How far away is this place anyways?"

"From what I could figure out from what Malva told me, perhaps a half hour flight from our current location– give or take ten minutes depending on how well I estimated our location," He sighed. "Basically we'll want to keep our eyes open for an isolated mansion as we're flying– the man that runs this place lives there. The place itself is about a half mile south from there, held in this hollowed out hillside– man made, not natural."

He was basically just repeating the words Malva had sent him, but it was easier than dwelling on his own thoughts. He was making his way towards the mouth of the cave, and Mairin pulled back so he could step out. The sunlight washed over him as he was at last free from the cave, the warmth filling him. He could see Charizard a little ways away, taking a long drink from stream.

She looked up at Alain, blinking her silver eyes.

"Think you can carry both of us?" Alain asked her.

"Rah," She rumbled, her scales rattling in a way that said 'of course'. She craned her neck up high, flaring open her wings as she stretched, before at last going onto all fours. Her wings snapped to her side, and the Charizard regarded her trainer and Mairin as they approached. Mairin recalled Bébé to her Pokeball, tucking the sphere away into her backpack.

Alain had to keep himself under control– he was silently screaming at himself for letting Mairin come along. What if she got hurt?! What would he do then? Alain watched as she climbed onto Charizard, getting settled on the Pokemon. Both him and his Pokemon were stronger, if he decided if she was going to stay here she wouldn't be able to do a thing about it, and she'd be safe...

What on earth was he thinking?

Alain closed his eyes, and dragged himself towards Charizard. The promise of resting his ankle was all that drove him to keep the illusion of an even expression on his face, and he mounted Charizard. Mairin pressed her back against his chest, her arms gripping Charizard's neck as the lizard opened her wings. He braced himself as his Pokemon took to the sky, praying silently to whatever legendary that was listening that they could do this without encountering any trouble.

Mairin was starting to really love the sensation of flying.

She still didn't dare take her hands off of the metal band around Charizard's neck, since the idea of falling off was still just as terrifying as ever, but that didn't mean she wasn't enjoying the rush. This was far better than any rollercoaster, the wind blowing in her hair and her stomach twisting anytime Charizard went into a dive. Like always Alain had an arm wrapped protectively around her waist, providing some level of security beyond her own grip.

She if ever got the chance, she most definitely was going to catch a Pokemon she could ride on– except for she was going to get a harness so there was no chance of her falling off.

"How much farther?" She called back to Alain, having to raise her voice so she could be heard above the wind. She wasn't sure why it was so loud today– it seemed that Charizard was flying directly into the gale. Alain shifted behind her, proving that he had at least her heard, but he didn't respond right off.

"Any minute now," He said, voice faint as the wind tried to steal it away.

Mairin sighed, and peered down at the grassy hills they were flying over. She told herself she was merely looking at a picture and not staring down at a hundred-foot fall, trying to find any sign that they were getting closer. They had spotted the mansion Alain had said to look for earlier, so there was no reason why they shouldn't be at their location now. Charizard let out a shudder as she flew on, and Mairin dared to remove one of her hands for a moment to give the lizard a pat.

Then she swiftly returned it to the metal band.

"I won't let you fall," Alain's voice said behind her, his voice barely able to be heard over the wind. "You can relax."

"I'll relax when we don't have anyone after us!" Mairin called back, and she felt Alain's arm wrap even tighter around her as they were reminded of their situation. She bit her lip, wondering if that had been the best topic to bring up, right when they were heading into what was surely only more danger.

Her stomach twisted slightly, mind trying to bury away just how bad their situation was. Someone had tried to kill her– and they wanted Alain gone as well. She looked down at her hands, and Mairin couldn't help but wonder how long they were going to be stuck in these circumstances. Months? Maybe even years? This wasn't just a journey they could end whenever they felt like it, they were going to have to keep moving no matter what came their way.

"Charizard– land!" Alain ordered, his voice rising so the lizard could hear him. "We'll walk the rest of the way."

Mairin gulped, hands tightening as Charizard tucked her wings to her side, going into a steep dive towards the hills below. She braced herself, knowing that Charizard's landings weren't always smooth. Her wings flared open as they approached the ground, jerking them all as she swooped down, claws sinking into the grass.

At some point in the landing Mairin had closed her eyes, and they remained that way until she felt Alain jumping off of Charizard. She swiftly glanced around, before following him, a strong will still blowing despite the fact they had come to a stop. Mairin's vision danced with black spots as she dismounted, though they swiftly faded. Alain was digging through his bag, pulling out his Holo Caster, turning it on with a few taps.

After a moment of glancing at it, and then at the windy hills around them, he pulled out a Pokeball. "Charizard– return."

The dragon-like Pokemon was recalled in a burst of red light, leaving them alone on top of the hill. Mairin slowly made her way over to Alain's side, not quite sure of what they were going to do next. She could see him glancing over his messages from Malva one last time, before slipping the Holo Caster into his pocket. He took in a deep breath, giving Mairin a swift glance, before looking skyward.

"Now what?" Mairin asked, shifting.

"...Are you sure you don't want to wait here?" Alain asked slowly. "I could leave Bisharp with you–"

"No!" Mairin snapped, the wind whipping her hair in front of her face. "I already said I was coming. I'm not changing my mind now."

He sighed. "...Okay. Just remember your promise– you need to do whatever I tell you," He looked down at her. "That includes running. If I tell you to get out of there, then don't even hesitate."

She gritted her teeth.

"Mairin."

She sighed. "...I promise, but only as long as you promise to look out for yourself as much as you do me."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine," His gaze shifted so it was looking out over the hills. "...Alright. If what Malva said was right, then we're just a few minutes walk away," He started down the hill, and Mairin hurried to keep up with him. "I will be doing all the talking. If anyone starts talking to you don't reply. Nobody in a place like this is trustworthy."

"Then why on earth do you want to come here?" Mairin muttered under her breath. Either Alain didn't hear her over the wind, or he was ignoring the comment. She had to carefully watch her step as they went down the grassy hill, the long blades of grass made it hard to see the ground, and she jumped with a Ledyba suddenly took flight. This action of course caused her to lose her footing, stumbling forward in an attempt to keep her balance.

Alain reached out, grabbing her shoulder before she fell face first into the ground. His other hand grabbed her other shoulder, pulling her back into a standing position. She gave him a brief, grateful smile– embarrassed at the fall. He didn't say anything as they continued on, however his pace did feel slower than before, and this time Mairin wasn't falling behind. She kept glancing over the hills, looking for some sign that this was more than a rich man's endless property.

They reached the bottom of the hill, and right away Alain began hiking up the next one. Mairin internally groaned, hoping they wouldn't have to go too far. Alain had that distant expression in his eyes, meaning that he was lost in his own thoughts. She sighed, and fell into a step behind him.

"You look lost, strangers," A voice called from behind them as they crested another hill, and chills raced up Mairin's back. She let out a startled yelp, spinning around with wide eyes. Alain's reaction was much calmer, slowly turning to face the speaker. However he stepped to the side so he was in front of Mairin, causing her to be unable to get a good look at the one who had called out to them. She peered around Alain, who had reached for a Pokeball in his pocket, eyeing the man suspiciously.

The man heading towards them was about as tall as Alain, with dark blue hair and eyes. He had a Luxray at his side as he walked through the tall grass, expression narrowed as he watched them.

"We know where we're heading," Alain replied evenly, holding the man's gaze.

The man regarded them for a moment. "This is private property, I'm afraid."

"We have an invitation," Alain replied swiftly. His words didn't sound like an excuse, more like an automatic response.

The man's narrowed gaze didn't fade a bit. "Where are you headed?"

"To where the Pidgey burrows," Alain said, and Mairin blinked in confusion at this answer. However, it seemed what he said was the right thing, because the man waved his hand, and the Luxray at his side relaxed.

"Hmm," The blue haired man said, tone still slightly cold. "It's been a while since anyone new has come by. Welcome."

Alain's stanced remained just as suspicious, and Mairin glanced between them. That's when she realized that the answers Alain had been giving were probably planned out– a code of some kind. He stayed standing in front of her, simply watching the man with an empty glare. The blue haired man gave an uncertain glance at Mairin before he turned, giving a small gesture for them to follow him.

"Malva mentioned this guy," Alain muttered to Mairin. "Basically he's supposed to chase off people that wander back here by accident," Without glancing at her he reached down, grabbing her arm and linking it through his. "Come on– and let me to the talking."

She scowled, since he had literally said this just a few minutes ago, but she allowed him to lead her through the grass as they followed the blue haired man. As they followed him Mairin felt herself growing more and more nervous. The grassy fields slowly faded into forest, aspens dotting the hills. She stumbled as she tried to keep up with Alain's pace, which was getting swifter with each step.

She wanted to say something, but she kept her word and stayed silent.

"You will find the entrance at the bottom of the hill, around on the west side," The man said. "...I can't promise they'll let you in though."

Alain grunted in acknowledgement, but said nothing more to the man as he started forward. Mairin struggled to keep up with his broad paces, but couldn't help but glance back at the man with the Luxray. He watched Mairin for a moment longer, before turning and heading back into the trees. She shivered, realizing just how out of place she was going to be in a place with illegal dealings. She pressed slightly closer to Alain, allowing him to lead her forward, a part of her wondering if it would have been best for her to stay behind.

No, it wouldn't have been fair to leave Alain alone. No matter how much he pretended he could handle everything, he was still human. And besides... the thought of being alone was just as frightening as going through with this. Mairin closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm herself for whatever was going to happen next.

"Wh-whoa," Mairin whispered.

Alain had said that this place was in a hollowed out hill... but Mairin realized that she didn't fully take that in until she actually saw the place. It looked almost like a cartoon entrance to a giant dragon lair, the whole side of the hill looking like the front of a giant cave. It clearly wasn't natural, large pillars and metal braces were holding up the walls and ceiling of the place, providing some stability to the man-made cavern.

Of course her awe ended there, stomach twisting as she began to take in the people in here. Alain didn't slow, while Mairin wanted to dig in her heels and not go another step, but she buried her fear. She wasn't quite sure what she had been expecting, but she supposed that the term 'market' had planted the wrong image in her head.

This place wasn't set up like a grocery store, just for people to walk in and browse. It was more like a stash, boxes and crates lined up in neat rows. Her legs felt like jelly as Alain and her passed the threshold into this cavern, and while it was still bright enough to see, being out of the direct sunlight made the whole place covered in shadows. Alain's arm tightened around hers, and she had no intention of pulling away.

The place was quite cleverly hidden, even if it was completely viewable as long someone was standing from the west. But since these lands were private, no trainers or roads would be here to see it. And with it tucked away under a hill it wasn't visible by air either.

"Who are you?" A sharp voice asked. "I haven't seen you before."

A blonde haired woman was approaching them, her arms crossed. A female Meowstic was at her side, and Alain's hand slipped towards his Pokeballs. A thick tension filled the air, and Mairin instinctively looked away, eyes flickering along the many crates and boxes that were being stored here. There was perhaps only four other people here, all watching over a different section of crates– though right now their eyes were directed towards her and Alain.

"No, you haven't," Alain said, his tone slipping into its empty drone as it often did. "A... a friend told me about this place."

"Who?" The woman snapped, looking unimpressed.

Alain hesitated. "...Malva."

The woman's stanced relaxed slightly. "Hmm. I heard she was headed off to Kanto, didn't think she'd send anyone our way," She scanned Alain. "Just what are you looking for?"

The woman's eyes slid towards Mairin for a moment, and she closed her eyes, not liking the way the woman's green gaze bore into her.

"Mega stones," Alain said.

The woman tapped her foot in thought, then finally pointed over her shoulder with a thumb. "You'll want to talk to Jake. Northeast corner. He's the one that deals with battle items."

"...Thank you," Alain said slowly, before stepping forward. Mairin stayed right next to him, their movements slow since Alain didn't seem keen on turning his back on anyone. The woman watched their every step, and it seemed that they would not be heading anywhere in this place without an eye on them. It took Alain a moment, but finally he simply headed forward without glancing over his shoulder every two steps.

Mairin was trying to work out just what this place was used for. Clearly everything here was either illegally brought here, or it was something that shouldn't even be owned at all. Her stomach twisted, realizing that they were probably going to be walking out of here with a mega stone that could be stolen from someone. Alain didn't seem to care though, so she simply glued her gaze to the floor.

Mairin felt vulnerable as they walked on, because it seemed everyone had a Pokemon out except for them. The girl had the Meowstic, a man on a ramp over them had a Haunter floating next to him. An older man leaning away a wall had a Simisear pacing in front of him, and in the corner they were heading towards there was a man who had a Scizor near him.

The man with the Scizor seemed to be Jake, because he had a gleam in his eyes as they approached. "Heh, thought it'd be a while until I'd see someone else interested in the mega business," His eyes locked on Alain's key stone. "Seems you already have your start, though."

Mairin could see the hesitation in Alain's gaze, a nervous edge to him despite the confident way he was carrying himself. "Malva said that you were willing to do trades."

"Trades for mega stones?" Jake asked, tone a bit light. "Perhaps. Though I would drive a harder bargain than I would for cash."

He eyed Alain, who shook his head. "I'll trade mega stones, nothing else."

Jake shrugged. "Just what stone are you looking for?"

Again there was that hesitation in Alain's eyes– since he did have two Pokemon outside of Charizard with the potential to mega evolve. "...Tyranitarite."

Jake looked surprised at this. "That's a rare Pokemon– you have one?"

"...I have a Larvitar," Alain lied after a moment, which she didn't see the benefit to, but she supposed this person didn't need to know everything about them. Jake leaned back for a moment, studying Alain with an unreadable expression, before glancing at his Scizor.

"It's not just a rare Pokemon, but a pretty uncommon stone as well," He said, watching Alain curiously. "I might have one, depends on what you have to offer."

Alain's lips twisted, thinking. Mairin was watching their surroundings, figuring the least she could do was keep an eye on things. She hated the way these people kept looking at her, she knew that she stood out, but it still made her shiver. Particularly older the man with the Simisear, whose eyes kept flickering in their direction. The blonde woman from before was gone, and even if Mairin didn't trust her she still found that she seemed the least hostile of everyone else here.

Mairin glanced at the older man again, who was still staring in their direction, not even trying to be discreet about it. Chills raced up her and she shifted her gaze to the crates behind him, not wanting to look at him, but not wanting to cower and look away either. Mairin's heart leapt as she noticed the bars on the front of the crates, and if she stared long enough small shifts and movements could be seen in the shadowy interior.

She was startled that she hadn't noticed the cages sooner, but even with rows upon rows the Pokemon within them didn't make a sound. The Simisear would pause in front of any crate that a noise came from, hissing in. This would swiftly make whatever Pokemon inside go quiet, and Mairin's gut twisted. Items were one thing, but living creatures...

"A Mawilite," Alain said, and Mairin's attention turned to him and Jake. In Alain's hand was a pink gem with a twisting gray and yellow core. He held it out to the man, allowing him to lean forward and study it, while not letting it out of his grasp. Mairin was surprised that Alain had another mega stone on hand– usually he handed what he found over to the professor. But Alain had been doing a lot of traveling before Team Rocket, so it wasn't startling that he had come across more stones for mega evolution.

"...A rare one," Jake said, clearly trying to keep his voice even, but hesitation was enough to show he was impressed. "A Mawilite is something I don't have... so I suppose I could find a trade," He leaned back against the wall. "But still, I'd say Tyranitar is the stronger of the two Pokemon, so I just don't want to give up a mega stone without thought..."

If it wasn't for the situation, Mairin would have rolled her eyes– he clearly wanted Alain to offer more.

Alain pressed his lips together, running his thumb over the Mawilite in a nervous fashion, before slipping it away. "Perhaps Tyranitar is stronger," Alain said. "But Mawile is worthless in battle without a mega stone– while a Tyranitar can get along fine without one. A rare mega stone for a rare mega stone is a fair deal, but if you're going to waste my time I will just find someone else to trade with."

Mairin stared at Alain, a bit startled that he had just called a Pokemon 'worthless'. Mairin knew that Alain wasn't that type of trainer– he had been mocked before for training a Unfezant compared to other flying types– and had proceeded to defeat their Pokemon with his so-called 'weak' Unfezant. She knew that he was simply trying to secure the trade, and had to remind herself to take his words with a grain of salt.

She was slightly startled when she felt a tug on her sleeve.

Mairin glanced down, and noticed a purple glow on the end of her jacket sleeve. She stared at the psychic energy as it gave another small tug, and she raised her gaze to try to find the source of the telekinetic powers. Her eyes met a glowing purple gaze, the female Meowstic standing aways off. Next to her was the blonde lady from earlier– though now her harsh demeanor was gone. She was watching Mairin with a concerned look, and when their eyes met she tilted her head, silently asking her to come.

Mairin froze up, and gave the smallest shake of her head.

The woman's gaze shifted to Alain, and then back to Mairin, again signalling for her to come. She seemed slightly on edge as she watched Alain, and the look in her eyes seemed far from cold. Mairin's arm tightened around Alain, realizing that this woman probably recognized them– and clearly Alain worried her.

Perhaps that's why they had been let in so easily.

Mairin watched the woman for a moment longer, and her concern seemed to genuine. Her heart thumped as she realized that this woman was probably trying to give her a chance to slip away from Alain. Had she tried to do this when Alain had first taken her, or perhaps if he was truly a threat, then Mairin would have been grateful. But considered what the last people who had tried to 'help' her had done, and seeing how Alain was the only human she trusted in this room, Mairin pressed up to Alain in an attempt to get his attention.

"Hold still," Alain snapped at her, voice much sharper than he'd usually use with her, and she gritted her teeth. They had been recognized– and they needed to get out of here.

"I suppose you do hold a point," Jake said, voice still very relax. "No point in letting a good trade walk out, especially if I could get something more out of it in the long run," He held out his hand. "So, Mawilite for Tyranitarite then?"

Alain eyed him warily, before holding out his hand as well. "...Alright."

Jake grinned as they shook hands. "You just wait here then, and I'll go get your Tyranitarite."

Alain swiftly withdrew his hand, nodding. He turned his gaze towards the Scizor as Jake left, and Mairin tugged on his sleeve, hissing at the older trainer. "Alain."

"Not now," He muttered out of the corner of his mouth, and she gritted her teeth in frustration. She eyed where the woman had been before– but both she and the Meowstic were gone. Mairin's eyes swept the cavern as much as she could without changing position, her worry and frustration growing with Alain not listening to her.

It wasn't like they were going to call the police though– they were the ones running this place after all. Mairin tried to let this fact calm her down, but she still couldn't relax. She only wanted to bolt when Jake returned, a gray-green stone in his hand with a twisting black and red core. Alain pulled out the Mawilite once more, and the two males hesitantly eyed each other as they held the mega stones, clearly not trusting the other. After a moment Alain slipped his arm away from Mairin, and held both out towards Jake– one hand holding out his stone, the other open to take one.

Jake did the same, and within a few tense moments the stones traded hands. Alain immediately held up the Tyranitarite up to his key stone. He let out a soft sigh when it gave off a small glow, confirming that it was a real mega stone. He stuffed it deep into his pocket, turning on his heel to face the exit– clearly ready to get out of here. Mairin had no protest to this, allowing Alain to grab her arm once more as they started for the exit.

Mairin's heart skipped a beat when she found the woman with the Meowstic blocking their way, her Pokemon's eyes glowing with psychic energy.

"Y-you can leave," She said, voice slightly shaking, but her gaze was firm. "But you are not taking the child with you, Vide!"

Some part of Mairin did admire this woman– standing up to someone who she saw as a murderer to help her– but that didn't mean that Mairin was happy with this turn of events. Alain stiffened up as he realized they had been recognized, one hand going drifting to his Pokeballs. Mairin flashed the woman a pleading look, just wishing this wouldn't escalate, but she seemed to take Mairin's look as one of wanting help. She stepped forward, Meowstic preparing an attack.

"That's not your choice to make," Alain said, pulling out a Pokeball. "So why don't you just get out of our way?"

"Vide, eh?" Jake's voice asked from behind them. "I thought I recognized you. There's a hefty reward for information leading to your capture, isn't there? I wouldn't mind if I did take that– and Margaret can collect the reward for finding the girl."

"Jake, this man is–" The woman, supposedly Margaret, began– but Jake cut her off.

"Scizor– Metal Claw!" He called, and Alain expanded the Pokeball in his hand, releasing his Pokemon as the Scizor came rushing at them. A bright burst of light filled the room, Alain's Tyranitar appearing from his Pokeball with a roar. Despite being weak to the attack, the titan of a Pokemon took the Metal Claw with only a grunt, swinging his tail around to launch the bug type back.

Jake took a step back, clearly startled to see a towering Tyranitar.

"His team is dangerous!" Margaret cried.

Jake gritted his teeth. "Y-yeah– noted," The man reached towards his neck, tugging a cord out from under his shirt. Mairin recognized the gleaming stone at the end of the necklace as a key stone, and she pulled closer to Alain as the man clasped his hand around the gem. A light surrounded him, and a band around the Scizor's wrist began to glow. "Scizor– mega evolve!"

The light around Scizor intensified, the glow flaring up as the energy of mega evolution surrounded the Pokemon. Tyranitar lowered himself into an attacking position, ready to throw himself into the battle against the mega Pokemon. Being a dark type he showed no concern for Margaret's Meowstic, simply forming a Dark Pulse in his mouth as the mega Scizor took shape.

"Hey, Tyranitar!" Alain called, and his Pokemon turned to look down at his trainer. "Catch!"

Alain tossed the Tyranitarite towards the rock type, who caught the stone in a clawed hand. For a moment the Pokemon stared down at the mega stone in sheer surprise, but flashed a grin as Alain brought two fingers up to his key stone. Mairin gulped slightly, knowing that a Pokemon mega evolving for the first time could be pretty dangerous. And considering how strong Alain's Pokemon were... she didn't want to take an attack from any of them– mega or not.

A glow surrounded Alain's key stone, the light surging out towards Tyranitar. The rock type had an excited gleam in his eyes as the light engulfed him– clearly happy to be extending the full power of his and Alain's bond. Tyranitar began to change as the mega evolution energy hit him, the spikes on his back branching out as they expanded. The Pokemon grew in height, a large horn sprouting up from his crest, red markings appearing across his chest.

The light faded, and the mega Tyranitar took a step forward, swinging a huge club-like tail as he glowered down on the Scizor. The excitement from before was gone, an unfocused look in Tyranitar's gaze as he let out a mighty roar. A surge of blue energy flared around him, and a sandstorm began to be whipped up as his Sand Stream ability was activated. The weather seemed much harsher than last time as the sandstorm filled the entire room– and she wasn't sure if it was from the close quarters or the fact that Tyranitar was now mega.

Mairin couldn't see as the sandstorm took over the cave, the grains gritting against her skin like sandpaper as it whipped around them. She saw a brief glow as Tyranitar fired off a Dark Pulse, and suddenly Alain's fingers wrapped around her wrist, and she allowed Alain to lead her through the sandstorm, hoping that he had some plan in mind.

He shoved her behind a wall of crates– where the sandstorm wasn't quite as harsh, and he was breathing heavily. "Stay here!" Alain instructed, having to shout over the storm to be heard. "I'll be back!"

Then he was gone– rushing towards the thrashing Tyranitar as the battle commenced. Mairin blinked, before simply squeezing her eyes shut with the sandstorm the Sand Stream was bringing in. There was sand in her hair and eyes– the gritty grains gathering in her mouth as she tried to breath. She allowed herself to sink down to the ground, leaning against the crates as she brought her knees up. She leaned her head against them, covering up her head the best she could with her arms– and breathing became somewhat easier.

Usually a sandstorm was kept to a battlefield during a fight– but all official rules had been thrown out with the situation they were in. As horrible as the roaring sand felt against her skin, it did provide a layer of protection for them, hiding them from sight as the battle continued. Unfortunately the sandstorm would be of little hindrance to the mega Scizor, but hopefully it would provide them a way to get out of here.

Mairin could hear the sounds of people shouting and attacks being fired, but she couldn't make out any words. She gritted her teeth as she sat there, hating the fact that she was doing nothing. But what else could she do? Both of her Pokemon were at the disadvantage with that Scizor, and none of them would do well in a Sandstorm. And even if they could, they simply didn't have the raw power to fight mega Pokemon.

So instead she sat there, letting the Sandstorm nip at her skin.

"Meow," A soft voice called, and Mairin stiffened as she felt the sand starting to slow. She dared to open her eyes, wondering if the sandstorm had really ended that quickly– but she found that the whole cavern was still engulfed with the raging storm. However Mairin found herself in a dome of glowing white energy, a Meowstic standing in the center, using a Safeguard to keep the sand back.

Mairin's hands curled, and she looked up at Margaret, who was standing next to her Pokemon. She still had that concerned look in her eyes, and Mairin leapt to her feet, sand falling from her hair and clothes. Mairin pressed back along the crates, glaring at the woman as she tried to get more sand off of her.

"You're the Floraison girl, right?" Margaret asked gently. "The one that's missing?"

"I assume that I'm considered missing," Mairin said in a low tone. "But I'm fine. I don't need help."

"That man is dangerous–"

"He's my friend," Mairin snapped, not about to be landed back in the same situation she had been in with Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny. "Look, I get that you want to help– but I'm fine. Just let me and Alain leave, and we can pretend none of this happened. I'm sure you guys want to stay far from the police as well."

She gave a small smile. "This may not be the most honest of work, but I didn't have much else to turn to, but I'm not going to leave a child with a–"

"I'm not a child– and Alain is not a murderer!" Mairin snarled. "And I'd much rather take my chances with him than you!"

And with that Mairin turned and ran out of the shelter of the Safeguard, cringing as she was back into the sandstorm, unable to see more than a few paces in front of her. She paused from a moment, getting a mouthful of sand as she tried to breathe, before pressing on. She had her hands out in front of her, and was moving away from the sounds of battle, wanting to find the edges of where the Sand Stream ability was in affect.

She began coughing as the sandstorm began to thin, trying to get the sand out of her mouth. She and Alain most definitely were going to have a talk about what Pokemon he used when trying to get away– even a Smokescreen from Charizard wouldn't have been as bad as this! She pulled up her shirt so it was partly covering her mouth, which made breathing slightly easier, eyes narrowed as she tried to find a better place to take shelter.

Small whimpers reached Mairin's ears as she pressed on, the sandstorm no longer roaring in her ears as she found herself reaching a far wall– rows of crates standing in front of her. She reached out, bracing herself against one as she opened her eyes a bit more, testing to see if the sandstorm was still going to claw at them. Small plumes of sand rushed by, but the wind seemed to draw them in back towards the heat of the battle, and she let out a shaky sigh.

She was greeted with more whimpers.

Mairin looked up at the crates she was by, and found that she was by the cages she had spotted earlier. Her heart thumped, fingers tracing the bars as she pressed closer to look inside of one. A small cowering form of several Lillipups could be seen huddling in the back of the cage, watching her with wide eyes. The metallic cages were bare– no food, water, or even a blanket in the crates.

Though the sandstorm wasn't as bad out here on the edge, still some deposits of sand had made their way into the cages. Mairin watched a Pokemon peck at the sand hungrily as she looked into a cage of two Natu. She swiftly paced down the rest of the rows of cages, glancing in at the Pokemon that were being kept there. Many of the Pokemon were species that she didn't recognize right off– most not even native to Kalos. The Pokemon here were definitely on the rare side– most in their basic evolutionary stages– but she could see the value in them.

But Mairin was only sick at the state they were being kept in.

She rattled the lock, trying to see if there was some way she could open the cages– but she clearly needed a key. Frustration gnawed at her, why couldn't this just be a regular crate she could just open. Of course the lock was probably so people like her wouldn't do what she was trying to do... but still!

"Don't worry," She whispered to a cage with a defeated looking Zorua. "I'm going to get you guys out of here," She knelt down, sliding her backpack off, pulling out a red sphere. She slipped her backpack back on, before releasing a Pokemon from the Pokeball. Chespie glanced around in confusion as he was released, looking up at Mairin. "Hey bud, I need your help."

"Quill!" Chespie cried, the Quilladin standing at attention, wincing as a blast of the sandstorm came past them.

"We need to open these cages," Mairin said, rattling one with her hands, causing the Vulpix inside to pull back. "Do you think you could use your Vine Whip to try to open the lock?"

She wasn't sure if this would work– but it was worth a shot. Chespie nodded, two vines forming out from his shoulders. Mairin stepped back, trying to shield the Quilladin the best she could from the sandstorm as another rush of sand came towards them.

Chespie flinched as a roar from Tyranitar filled the cavern, but he reached up and slipped his sleek vine into the lock of the cage of the Vulpix. He bit his tongue as he wiggled it about, trying to get some feel for the lock mechanism. Mairin's heart thumped, but she was starting to realize that these cages were probably designed so a Pokemon couldn't just open them with ease. Chespie glanced back at her uncertainly, but then continued to try to unlock the crate.

"Flame Burst."

The voice was quiet, with a rougher edge to it, and Mairin turned in time to see a ball of sizzling fire rushing through the air. The sparking mass of flames collided with Chespie, knocking the grass type back and away from the crates. The fire burst upon contact– sending out cinders and embers in every direction. Mairin let out a cry, leaping away from the crackling fire.

The older man from earlier let out a snort, his Simisear at his side as he regarded Mairin and Chespie. Despite taking a super effective attack, the Quilladin leapt to his feet, standing in front of Mairin. He spread out his arms, growling at their attackers, a charred mark on his chest from the Flame Burst.

"I don't like it when people mess with my merchandise," The man said, taking a step forward. His Simisear advanced as well, the ghostly energy of a Shadow Claw surrounded its hands. Mairin's eyes fell to the Simisear, where she noticed a gleaming key hanging around his neck, barely visible under its fuzzy ruff of white fur.

"Rollout!" Mairin cried, and Chespie ran forward, tucking in his arms and legs as he prepared his attack. He rolled forward, speeding towards the Simisear, gaining speed as he rushed forward. He slammed into the fire type, veering away as he banked around to come again.

"Stop it," The man said, and the Simisear leapt forward, slashing down with the Shadow Claw. But with the speed Chespie was going the attack was deflected, and he was able to land a second hit. The fire type hissed, but was far from down. The monkey sprang out of the way of another Rollout, surprisingly agile despite the shaggy fur on his body.

"Keep it up!" Mairin called to Chespie, knowing that the longer his Rollout lasted the stronger it would it. It was the only move she had that could truly do damage to the fire type– Vine Whip and Pin Missile were both resisted attacks, and she didn't have time to wait around for a Toxic to take the Pokemon out.

"Your little friend is too busy to come and help you," The older man commented, smirking as he leaned against the cages, causing the Pokemon in them to scurry back. "The others were foolish to engage him– his team has won the league before, if I remember correctly. Even if the Tyranitar falls he'll just have more Pokemon."

Mairin eyed the man uncertainly, and Chespie crashed into the Simisear with yet another Rollout.

"I am perfectly able to handle a battle," Mairin snapped.

The older man shrugged. "Perhaps– but if your answer to a fire type is a grass type then perhaps that's not so. And while my colleagues foolishly battle your friend, I can take you and get a nice reward for helping 'recuse' the poor kidnapped girl," He grinned. "Though it's quite clear you're with him willingly."

"I– I'll tell the police about this place," Mairin threatened, even though she really had no idea where in Kalos they were. "I'm sure you'll lose a lot more money than an reward would give you if this place was to shut down!"

"Or maybe they won't be quick to listen to the confused little girl who thinks her captor is her friend," He snapped his fingers. "Flare Blitz."

Chespie had been coming around with his fifth Rollout– racing forward at full power for a hit that was most certainly going to hurt. But as he sped towards the Simisear it burst into flames, the intense fire coating its entire form just as Chespie slammed into it. Mairin's eyes widened as her starter let out a pained cry, the fire burning him as the Simisear seized him. Mairin stepped forward, trying to think of some command to give him, and the fire type slammed its whole body against the grass type, launching it away.

"D-din," Chespie grunted in pain as he hit the earth. He opened his eyes, huffing, and Mairin let out a sigh of relief as he pushed himself back to his feet. The tips of his quills began to glow, the Pokemon releasing a Pin Missile out at the Simisear.

The fire monkey simply fired a Flame Burst, incinerating the attack before it could reach him. The Simisear grinned at them, before willing another Flare Blitz to surround his form, charging forward. Chespie stumbled to the side in an attempt to avoid the intense heat of the Flare Blitz, but the Simisear simply wheeled around, slamming into the Quilladin from behind.

Again Chespie was launched back, fur charred black as he collapsed to the ground. Several glowing cinders were visible on his form, body shaking as he tried to stand again. Smoke curled up from the defeated Pokemon, struggling to find the strength to get to his feet. The Simisear pulled out of his attack, claws forming a Shadow Claw around them.

"R-return!" Mairin cried, whipping out Chespie's Pokeball as the Simisear leapt to attack. A burst of red light hit the Quilladin as Simisear bore down on him, the Pokemon being turned into energy and drawn back into the Pokeball before the attack could hit him. The Shadow Claw swiped at the ground, and Mairin let out a sigh of relief as her Pokemon was safely tucked away in the sphere.

"Anything else?" The man asked, and Mairin took a step back. She could send out Bébé– but both of her attacks would barely do anything to a fire type. And with her being the weaker of her two Pokemon, Mairin wasn't about to send her into a battle that Chespie hadn't been able to win.

Mairin shot one glance at the caged Pokemon, guilt clawing at her that she hadn't been able to free them. She swallowed hard– before turning on a heel and racing back towards the sandstorm as fast as she could, Chespie's Pokeball clutched near her heart. She heard the older man snort as she ran.

"Shadow Claw," He said, and she heard the Simisear let out a screech as it sprang after her. Panic rushed through Mairin, fear hammering as she realized a Pokemon had been ordered to attack her. Still she didn't dare to send out her Flabébé, simply trying to ran faster– but she could hear it ganging on her–!

"GAR!"

The roar filled the cavern, the bitter snarl causing Mairin to stumble and trip. She hit the ground with a harsh thump, and she rolled over onto her back to see if the Simisear was still coming at her. Mairin's eyes widened though when she saw a huge figure that was only steps away– a towering blue shape letting out another ferocious roar.

Its arms were like blades, tips red like blood as it slashed forward with a Dual Chop, claws glowing green. The dragon Pokemon's attack arched down onto the Simisear, the second blow swinging around to send the fire type flying back. Mairin's heart was hammering, staring up at the Garchomp that had just saved her.

"Earth Power," A familiar voice snapped, and the mega Garchomp slammed her foot against the ground. A rush of white energy burst across the floor, the earth bulging as it reached the Simisear– before exploding. She turned away as the attack hit, before daring to peer out at the Pokemon. The force of the Earth Power had knocked the Simisear out– and the blast had knocked it's trainer to the ground.

The Garchomp looked back at Mairin, letting out a happy cry. "Chompa!"

Mairin could only stare, amber eyes wide. Her gaze was pulled away from the dragon as she saw a figure approaching, and Garchomp gave a nod to her trainer. The man crossed his arms as he glared at the one who attacked Mairin, pale blue eyes gleaming with rage. He regarded the man for a moment, jaw tight.

"Garchomp," The man snapped. "Knock him out as well."

The mega Garchomp leapt forward, claws glowing with a Dual Chop. The older man tried to scramble back, but the dragon swung her bladed claws around before he could get away. Even though he had attacked her, Mairin still couldn't help but flinch as the man was knocked out with the flat side of Garchomp's claws. Heart still hammering in her chest, she looked up at her recuser.

Professor Sycamore gave her a kind smile, holding out a hand to help her stand.