The LUMIOSE Team (PLOT)

"Brilliant idea," Looker complimented the plan as he caught on to where Vitaly was going with his thoughts.

"So what would be the ideal plan, then?" Giovanni tried to coax the rest of the plan out of him with a smile.
"I'm eager to get to somewhere more defensible."

The approval of the older men had startled him a moment, and he was almost glad when Miranda spoke up to ask, "I don't see how having them come after us helps. Unless you have some kind of ambush in mind?"

"Not an ambush, my dear, but close! A distraction." Looker took over explaining the finer details, and Vitaly let him answer the question. "There's no way of knowing who or what or how many, exactly, is in that tower; just that they're clearly not paying attention. But the rest of the thugs in this city are going to notice the carnage we left behind eventually, and if we have a small group causing some mayhem elsewhere, then they'll deploy people. It'd probably behoove us to get a little closer to the Tower first, before splitting up, and of course, we also need to decide who's going where."

Afterwards, Vitaly explained the finer details of his distraction idea, including how this distraction should bring Ness and Raist out where they could be rescued. Since the Pokemon were often used as canon fodder against other Pokemon, then a Pokemon causing problems would be the perfect bait to bring them out. Here he better explained what they would be looking for: A Houndemn, which was a pokemon that looked like a Houndoom but with more bones and bigger, and a Delphox.

Siyal volunteered to be part of the distraction; his presence would once again aggravate the locals, and with their ground-type trump card gone, they'd have to hope that Ness's dark typing would work in their favor. Of course, he knew that it wouldn't. Ness was far too timid to actually attack Siyal of all things. The other reason he was going was that he would make getting Jude's Pokemon to come along so much easier. They would be wary of new people, of course, and Vitaly really needed to be part of the group breaking into the tower. He also offered to give the two humans going with him a lift if they needed it.

Once the plan had been figured out, they started heading towards the tower again. Unfortunately, a collapsed building and a fallen tree blocked their current path, so they turned around to try another route. Drizzt and Siyal's ears perked as they picked up on something, but before they could warn the others, even the humans could hear what it was. An Army truck. Vitaly cursed under his breath as he backed away with his arm out to prevent someone from accidentally going around him, and he followed Looker into a nearby shop.

Vitaly grabbed Pelor off of Siyal's back as Siyal ducked into the door. He hadn't figured out his ghostly form enough to know how to phase through walls yet. Unfortunately, his fire, though dim in comparison to his flames as a Rapidash, still gave off a glow. Vitaly's eyes glanced over the windows, and thankfully, most of them were boarded up. Even when night fell, they wouldn't be compromised by the "living" light source.

Once everyone was inside, Vitaly remained tense as he listened for the sounds of the car. He nearly jumped and dropped the Larvesta when Looker said, "I suppose we'll be here awhile. We have no way of knowing how long that truck will be hanging around the area..."

Deciding it was safe enough for now, Vitaly deposited Pelor beside Siyal, and ruffled the fluff on the Larvesta's head to help him relax a little. Turning to face Looker, all he could say was, "I dunno. We probably want to keep guard... just in case." Granted, that was already the plan; Drizzt's eyes were very much on the door, and his feathered ears were on alert. "... Though if they're just driving through to go back to their base, we're probably safe here for the night."

(Please skip me. Giovanni is just silent and observing as the team moves.)

With somewhat of a plan in place the group had set out only to be deterred by minor inconveniences as they traveled through the broken remains of her former home. Miranda was heartsick to see so much left to waste away when all of her memories of this city were of its lights and grandeur. She didn't want to believe that everything she loved could be so fragile, so broken, that there was no hope of ever returning it to the way it was.

So lost in her melancholy she barely registered the approaching threat until everyone ducked into a nearby shop to hide from the oncoming truck. She followed Mr. Don almost on autopilot until everyone settled down, quiet as they waited for any sign the truck would be moving on. "I suppose we'll be here awhile. We have no way of knowing how long that truck will be hanging around the area..." Looker eventually resigned, still seemingly unsure if it was even safe. They would have to keep their voices down and keep well hidden or else they might get spotted. Easy enough for most of them but some of the pokemon...they were less than subtle.

"I dunno. We probably want to keep guard... just in case. ... Though if they're just driving through to go back to their base, we're probably safe here for the night." Hopefully that was the case. In any event Miranda returned to Giovanni's side and sat vigil with him, worried as he began to show signs of fatigue once more. What was going to become of them?


((Edited because I finally had the ability to write a freaking post and doing everything AFTER the fact was too hard so edited this one))

"I dunno. We probably want to keep guard... just in case." Looker nodded, noting Drizzt was way ahead of them in that department. "... Though if they're just driving through to go back to their base, we're probably safe here for the night."

"I definitely hope so. It'd aid us a lot if their upset over this afternoon doesn't become an issue until tomorrow," he sighed, slinging his bag off and sitting down, wincing a little. Wow, he hadn't realized how sore his feet were until now. "It would be nice if we didn't have to create a new scene and could just use yesterday's to kick off tomorrow's plan..."

Reaching into his bag, he dug around inside. "I suppose now is a good time to eat. We have quite the day ahead of us-"

Having glanced up while rooting around in his pack, he blinked. "Tomorrow..."

The thing that caught his eye was a display case, the firelight from Siyal bouncing off a glittery object within. Looker had half been expecting a stone of some sort; maybe they'd sheltered in a jewelry store, or one of those stores that sold evolutionary stones.

But no, it was a... pokeball? A glittery pokeball. Looker glanced around, spotting a number of shelves with pokeballs sitting on them. Special ones resided in display cases. There were even a few bookshelves and a few chairs for people to sit in. Maybe to provide something to read while waiting for a store clerk to help them? He tilted his head a little.

"Huh. I didn't know there were special stores just for pokeballs."

"I definitely hope so. I'd aid us a lot if their upset over this afternoon doesn't become an issue until tomorrow," Looker agreed as he sat down and swung his bag off his shoulders. Vitaly noted the wince, and felt a little bad for the older man. "It would be nice if we didn't have to create a new scene and could just use yesterday's to kick off tomorrow's plan..." "I suppose now is a good time to eat. We have quite the day ahead of us-" Looker started to forage around in his bag as he continued talking, when something caught his eye and stopped the train of thought. "Tomorrow..." Curious as to what had distracted Looker, Vitaly wandered over to look. It was one of the stranger pokeballs that he had heard about from Father Jude. He hadn't been able to see a lot of the ones he had talked about, but he knew they were a thing. The Father had even helped him get a Dusk ball for Drizzt, and explained Pelor's Luxury ball and Lidda's Premier ball. "Huh. I didn't know there were special stores just for pokeballs."

Vitaly could sense the obvious question, but his limited experiences with stores had all happened after the Epidemic had started. Giovanni and Miranda were much more likely to have answers to the question, and hoping they distracted Looker from the fact he didn't give a response, he walked over to a short book shelf and pulled out a catalog. He couldn't get a good look at it from where he was, so he went back to Siyal and Pelor to settle down. The two older Pokemon didn't really have much to add to that conversation either, so instead, they looked over Vitaly's shoulder to glance through the book with him.

The journey had not been kind on Giovanni. He had overestimated the healing on his shoulder and it ached from all the movement the day had seen. So, as they settled in the little shop to hide away from unkind eyes, he let out a grateful sigh and rubbed it with his large palm. He feared that this would be a permanent ache in some form, especially with the unorthodox healing. At least the bullet had gone through and he didn't have to worry about some metal floating about in his body.

"I definitely hope so. I'd aid us a lot if their upset over this afternoon doesn't become an issue until tomorrow," Looker replied to... Vitaly, was the likely answer. Giovanni scolded himself for allowing his mind to flit about when there were plans being laid out. The stallion had stood vigil beside him, cautiously keeping an eye on the door; a fine sentinel, but the Mudsdale had aided in Giovanni's distraction. "It would be nice if we didn't have to create a new scene and could just use yesterday's to kick off tomorrow's plan..." Yes, though it was unlikely the sentry ants would still be on red alert through the night.

"I suppose now is a good time to eat. We have quite the day ahead of us-" Giovanni quirked a brow as something seemed to catch Looker's attention to the point where he lost his own sentence as it finished in his mouth. Giovanni's eyes flicked to follow the detective's line of sight and spotted a pokeball in a case. Not an ordinary poke ball, though, from the odd colors he spied through the dimly lit glass. "Tomorrow..."

Vitaly seemed just as curious as to what caught Looker's fascination so completely, and Giovanni stood to join the detective, minding his shoulder, of course. Upon closer inspection, Giovanni recognized the marvel as a Heal Ball. "Huh. I didn't know there were special stores just for pokeballs."

"There were stores for just about anything you could imagine, my good man," Giovanni chuckled as he straightened from the small lean. "With the rise in specialized Poke Balls, I'm more surprised that these stores didn't spread further. I can't recall any in my home region... but in a place like this, a little boutique for spoiling pokemon seems right at home." He chuckled as he looked around the shelves a little more carefully; a poke ball store would have been one of the last places raided by desperate survivors. Perhaps there was something else here of value...?

Miranda watched over Giovanni dutifully as Looker and Vitaly quietly conversed about their situation. From what little she heard they would be staying here overnight, not a terrible plan given her guardian's current state, but it was still risky. They had several people and pokemon in one small shop, that was a dangerous situation for trying to avoid detection. "Huh. I didn't know there were special stores just for pokeballs."

The random sentiment caught both hers and Giovanni's attention it seemed. The older man sat up a bit and followed Looker's gaze to the display cases nearby and her own smile began to return at the look of wonder on the kind man's face. "There were stores for just about anything you could imagine, my good man," Giovanni answered with a small laugh. "With the rise in specialized Poke Balls, I'm more surprised that these stores didn't spread further. I can't recall any in my home region... but in a place like this, a little boutique for spoiling pokemon seems right at home."

"It may have been because each region had their own uses for Poke Balls. Here they were a fashion statement, but I have always envied the Capsules in Sinnoh. Adding stickers and effects to Poke Balls so when you called for your companion they would be accompanied by dazzling effects...." Miranda's face was one of distant happiness, as though remembering a feeling rather than experiencing it in the present. Back before this living nightmare they all shared she had such dreams of travel, of adventure. But now...? "Such a shame they never made it here before the plague. The fashionistas of Lumiose would have taken the Poke Ball shop by storm."

"There were stores for just about anything you could imagine, my good man," Giovanni said, laughing. Looker perked up further. "With the rise in specialized Poke Balls, I'm more surprised that these stores didn't spread further. I can't recall any in my home region... but in a place like this, a little boutique for spoiling pokemon seems right at home."

"It may have been because each region had their own uses for Poke Balls," Miranda mused. Each region treated Pokeballs differently? "Here they were a fashion statement, but I have always envied the Capsules in Sinnoh. Adding stickers and effects to Poke Balls so when you called for your companion they would be accompanied by dazzling effects...."

Stickers? Effects? What kind of effects? Couldn't anyone put stickers on their pokeballs? In fact, Looker recalled, he remembered the girl who had found him that day on the beach talking about using stickers so she could reach into her pocket and know what pokeball she was touching just by the feel of the sticker. "A friend gave me the idea," she'd explained in answering his curious head tilt when she said the stickers helped identify which pokemon was which without even looking. "Use a different sticker for each pokeball, and you can sort of feel the edges of the stickers when you reach inside your pocket. Might be a little slow at first, but you get fast it really quick."

But she'd never said anything about effects. Maybe that had something to do with these capsule things?

"Such a shame they never made it here before the plague," the girl lamanted. "The fashionistas of Lumiose would have taken the Poke Ball shop by storm."

"The girl who found me after whatever happened to my memory- she tried to teach me things about Pokemon. But she was so young and there was so much about- everything, and I didn't want her to put her life on hold for me. So after a little while, I told her not to worry about me, and that I'd be fine without her guidance." He sighed. "It... it was the right decision, it really was, but sometimes I regret it. There's still so much I don't know, and I took for granted the thought that I could just... learn later, after first unearthing the truth about what happened to me. I can't even begin to guess what you mean by capsules, or why Lumiose would have been storming the shop to get at them."

Ah no, he didn't want to make this sad! And he didn't especially want to feel sad, himself. He sat up straighter with a smile. "I'd love to learn now, though! If you'd be willing, Miss Miranda?"

Vitaly listened to the others converse as he looked over the catalog book. He chose to remain quiet since he didn't have much to contribute, but he thought it prudent to keep an ear on the conversation. "There were stores for just about anything you could imagine, my good man," Giovanni explained with a small laugh. He began to browse the shelves nearer to Looker as he continued talking, "With the rise in specialized Poke Balls, I'm more surprised that these stores didn't spread further. I can't recall any in my home region... but in a place like this, a little boutique for spoiling pokemon seems right at home."

"It may have been because each region had their own uses for Poke Balls. Here they were a fashion statement, but I have always envied the Capsules in Sinnoh. Adding stickers and effects to Poke Balls so when you called for your companion they would be accompanied by dazzling effects...." Miranda reminisced. He hadn't heard about capsules before, so he looked up briefly in curiosity. "Such a shame they never made it here before the plague. The fashionistas of Lumiose would have taken the Poke Ball shop by storm."

"The girl who found me after whatever happened to my memory- she tried to teach me things about Pokemon. But she was so young and there was so much about- everything, and I didn't want her to put her life on hold for me. So after a little while, I told her not to worry about me, and that I'd be fine without her guidance," Looker said in response, and Vitaly felt like he missed something. He felt Pelor shift under his arm, and he looked down at the bug's face to see that he was also a little confused. Looker continued to ramble along that line of thought. "It... it was the right decision, it really was, but sometimes I regret it. There's still so much I don't know, and I took for granted the thought that I could just... learn later, after first unearthing the truth about what happened to me. I can't even begin to guess what you mean by capsules, or why Lumiose would have been storming the shop to get at them." As if to change the subject to something a little less gloomy, he asked Miranda, "I'd love to learn now, though! If you'd be willing, Miss Miranda?"

"It may have been because each region had their own uses for Poke Balls," Miss LeClair began. Giovanni smiled as her bright enthusiasm shone out once more. Good. "Here they were a fashion statement, but I have always envied the Capsules in Sinnoh. Adding stickers and effects to Poke Balls so when you called for your companion they would be accompanied by dazzling effects...." Giovanni paused in his perusing, tempted by his ward's nostalgic tone. He'd completely forgotten about those. "Such a shame they never made it here before the plague. The fashionistas of Lumiose would have taken the Poke Ball shop by storm."

Giovanni let out a small, light-hearted chuckle at her sentiment. "I believe you're right, Miss LeClair. I doubt they would have caught on in Kanto. People were a mite too pragmatic there for such frivolity, unfortunately."

"The girl who found me after whatever happened to my memory- she tried to teach me things about Pokemon." Giovanni turned to watch Looker as he recounted one of his few memories, eager to hear what the man could recall. "But she was so young and there was so much about- everything, and I didn't want her to put her life on hold for me. So after a little while, I told her not to worry about me, and that I'd be fine without her guidance." The mob boss' eyes narrowed a little as he picked apart each word said in his mind. "So young"? What kind of child had plucked a drowned amnesiac off a beach and made him her responsibility? He had mentioned Hoenn, and Giovanni's acquaintances were few and far between there... This mystery girl was likely someone unknown to him. Still, that kind of attitude sounded like the young man that had bested him all those years ago.

"It... it was the right decision, it really was, but sometimes I regret it. There's still so much I don't know, and I took for granted the thought that I could just... learn later, after first unearthing the truth about what happened to me. I can't even begin to guess what you mean by capsules, or why Lumiose would have been storming the shop to get at them." It was almost pathetic, watching Looker lament his former life. Almost. As if to change the subject to something a little less gloomy, he asked Miranda, "I'd love to learn now, though! If you'd be willing, Miss Miranda?"

"I believe you're right, Miss LeClair. I doubt they would have caught on in Kanto. People were a mite too pragmatic there for such frivolity, unfortunately." Miranda chuckled softly at Giovanni's observation and nodded at her guardian. While she hadn't met many Kantonians the few she had tended to be far more traditional, though some not as extreme as their Johto cousins. Something about those two regions though called out for modesty and convention that tended to stick out in a place like Kalos.

"The girl who found me after whatever happened to my memory- she tried to teach me things about Pokemon." For a moment Miranda felt sorry for bringing up such things. Surely she wouldn't want to be reminded of how much she had forgotten if she ever lost her memories. It must be so humiliating... Should she apologize? "But she was so young and there was so much about- everything, and I didn't want her to put her life on hold for me. So after a little while, I told her not to worry about me, and that I'd be fine without her guidance." It didn't help he still seemed so distraught about it. Maybe she really should apologize.

"It... it was the right decision, it really was, but sometimes I regret it. There's still so much I don't know, and I took for granted the thought that I could just... learn later, after first unearthing the truth about what happened to me. I can't even begin to guess what you mean by capsules, or why Lumiose would have been storming the shop to get at them." Opening her mouth a couple of times Miranda attempted to form a coherent apology to make up for dragging such melancholy out of the older gentleman but found the words impossible. Almost as if answering a prayer, however, Looker quickly changed the subject and found that spark of cheer that had begun to wander out of his eyes taking a great weight off of Miranda.

"I'd love to learn now, though! If you'd be willing, Miss Miranda?" With a happy nod and shy smile the young Kalosian agreed, clutching one hand to her chest as though about to take an oath. "I would be happy to, Mr. Looker. Since we will be here for the evening we can even start with basic Poke Balls and work our way up to the more complex forms like capsules and seals. Mr. Don is well learned on the ones back from his homeland as well, ones even I haven't seen before. We can learn together!" That should make it easier on him, rather than embarrassing. Right?

He really did need to learn to stop rambling.

He saw the subtle shifts in expression in those around him as he talked about Sapphire but the words poured out anyway. He was too used to talking to himself. When one was alone, one could talk aloud about anything as much as one wanted. But now there were people around. And he really needed to start getting used to that and keeping his thoughts in his head, where they belonged.

Thankfully, the sweet young lady handled it gracefully, turning to look to him with a big smile one hand over her heart. "I would be happy to, Mr. Looker. Since we will be here for the evening we can even start with basic Poke Balls and work our way up to the more complex forms like capsules and seals. Mr. Don is well learned on the ones back from his homeland as well, ones even I haven't seen before. We can learn together!"

"That sounds wonderful!" he said, reflecting her smile back at her, and with some amount of ease, too-- her eagerness was infectious, and he really did want to learn. "I never would have imagined pokeballs to be so complicated. It's crazy enough that they store living creatures in the form of light, but that there's variations? It's- admittedly a little overwhelming, but still, very interesting! The young lady taught me a little about the three standard balls-- pokeballs, great balls, ultra balls. If I remember right, the only real difference between them besides their design is a slightly better chance of capture, right?" He looked at each of them, an invitation for anyone to join in the conversation. Vitaly had been quiet, and he wanted to let the boy speak too. And Giovanni seemed so strong and sure of himself, so comfortable with these fantastical creatures-- he'd love the man's opinion about various pokemon-related topics, too.

"I believe you're right, Miss LeClair. I doubt they would have caught on in Kanto. People were a mite too pragmatic there for such frivolity, unfortunately." Vitaly wasn't entirely sure on that, since Kanto was right next to Johto, which was apparently well known for having a lot of different Pokeball varieties. However, he certainly wasn't going to argue with a Kanto native on that. It wasn't like he actually knew Kanto's culture or any other region's. He barely knew what was considered normal for Orre.

Miranda handled the awkwardness with grace; she put her hand over her chest in earnest as she responded, "I would be happy to, Mr. Looker. Since we will be here for the evening we can even start with basic Poke Balls and work our way up to the more complex forms like capsules and seals. Mr. Don is well learned on the ones back from his homeland as well, ones even I haven't seen before. We can learn together!"

"That sounds wonderful!" Looker reflected the smile she had given him. "I never would have imagined pokeballs to be so complicated. It's crazy enough that they store living creatures in the form of light, but that there's variations? It's- admittedly a little overwhelming, but still, very interesting! The young lady taught me a little about the three standard balls-- pokeballs, great balls, ultra balls. If I remember right, the only real difference between them besides their design is a slightly better chance of capture, right?" The last question was pointed towards the whole room, and Vitaly internally debated about answering. He wasn't sure how well he would be able to bullshit his minimal knowledge of Pokeballs... Well, he was from Orre, and due to the minimal amount of wild Pokemon there, it would make sense that he didn't know a whole lot about different Pokeballs.

"Yeah, that's about right," Vitaly said carefully. "Won't be able to tell you too much else; Orre wasn't really known for having special Pokeballs. You could only find them if you had money and dug around for the right seller." This was partially based on what little he had seen, what Father Jude had told him when they had gone looking for a Pokeball for Drizzt, and a few guesses on his part. Hopefully this would absolve him from having to take the lead on the conversation at any point. Miranda seemed like she was eager enough, but he wanted to cover his own bases.

Giovanni held no surprise in Miss LeClair's answer, and found himself still smiling as he listened to her almost infectious optimism. "I would be happy to, Mr. Looker. Since we will be here for the evening we can even start with basic Poke Balls and work our way up to the more complex forms like capsules and seals. Mr. Don is well learned on the ones back from his homeland as well, ones even I haven't seen before. We can learn together!" There was certainly one he knew extensively about, but Giovanni wasn't sure whether or not he should press his luck.

"That sounds wonderful!" the good detective beamed. Truly, they seemed to feed off each other's energy. It was fascinating to watch, albeit Giovanni had to admit much of his amusement came from the lingering satisfaction of how brutally he had beaten his pursuer. Any sort of interaction with the poor bastard was now like a bonus prize mixed in with a dash of adrenaline and excitement. After all, who knew if the amnesia would suddenly lose its grip to grant Looker even one memory back, cluing him in to Giovanni's identity and their past relationship? It had held for this long yes, but a harbinger's power was typically unpredictable. Still, Giovanni enjoyed gambling and hadn't been able to properly indulge for quite some time... This was a definitely adequate substitute.

And even if Looker did remember, the man's despair and utter humiliation in how he was so easily misled and duped by the man that destroyed his life was more than enough to be a consolation prize. Giovanni only hoped to actually see his face if or when it ever happened.

"I never would have imagined pokeballs to be so complicated," Looker continued, pulling Giovanni back from his reverie. "It's crazy enough that they store living creatures in the form of light, but that there's variations? It's- admittedly a little overwhelming, but still, very interesting! The young lady taught me a little about the three standard balls-- pokeballs, great balls, ultra balls. If I remember right, the only real difference between them besides their design is a slightly better chance of capture, right?"

"Yeah, that's about right," Vitaly said carefully, earning a small inclination of Giovanni's brow. "Won't be able to tell you too much else; Orre wasn't really known for having special Pokeballs. You could only find them if you had money and dug around for the right seller."

"Concerning the three standard variations, yes, that is basically all that separates them-- apart from external appearances, of course," Giovanni began. It seemed he would be able to lightly flex his own knowledge, though the thought of tantalizing them with the Master Ball was incredibly tempting. "However, there are, as you can see, many, many more than those, and with those other variations are different effects on the Pokemon they're trying to capture. For example, the ball you were enamored with prior is a Heal Ball. If a pokemon is caught in it, it is healed to top fighting shape, instead of retaining its wounds it sustained in battle with you, making it choice for long bouts of travel between cities. There's also a Dusk Ball next to it, the green one. Its specialty is to capture pokemon at night or in dark places, such as caves. That one is one of my favorites." Giovanni chuckled and leaned on one of the display cases. "Do you have a fancy for any other ones here? Perhaps you could take a few if you wish. I don't see how it could hurt anyone."

Miranda watched with a happy smile as Looker became so animated that his enthusiasm became infectious. He recalled aloud what little he had been taught, which thankfully whoever had taught him explained the basics, and the other gentlemen in their company acknowledged his memory and offered what they could. Vitaly didn't have much in the way of extra knowledge due to growing up in a region that didn't have wild Pokemon for a long time but given his explanation that was to be expected. Miranda almost couldn't imagine a region with no wild Pokemon, Kalos was so plentiful it was nearly bursting which made the Epidemic that much worse of an issue.

"Concerning the three standard variations, yes, that is basically all that separates them-- apart from external appearances, of course," Giovanni began. Once Giovanni started speaking Miranda's attention immediately snapped to him. His tutelage during their journey together had been incredibly helpful so she was almost trained at this point to heed his every word. "However, there are, as you can see, many, many more than those, and with those other variations are different effects on the Pokemon they're trying to capture. For example, the ball you were enamored with prior is a Heal Ball. If a pokemon is caught in it, it is healed to top fighting shape, instead of retaining its wounds it sustained in battle with you, making it choice for long bouts of travel between cities. There's also a Dusk Ball next to it, the green one. Its specialty is to capture pokemon at night or in dark places, such as caves. That one is one of my favorites."

Miranda walked over to the case as Giovanni continued and lightly trailed her fingers across the glass case, leaving a small trail through the dust covering. "Do you have a fancy for any other ones here? Perhaps you could take a few if you wish. I don't see how it could hurt anyone." Miranda opened up the case and clutched her personal favorite, the ebony color with ruby and gold trim obvious against all others save the dark tones of the Dusk Ball, and held it out to Looker. "This one is my favorite," she explained with a smile. "It's called a Luxury Ball and was quite popular here in Lumiose, not just for how pretty and expensive it looks. A pokemon caught in this ball becomes friendlier to its trainer, letting bonds form more quickly. This paired with Kalos's prided technique of daily bonding and play time was a sure way to get a partner pokemon quickly regardless of the trainer's personal experience."

"Yeah, that's about right," Vitaly said. His words were a little slow, chosen carefully. Huh. Tuck that thought away for later. Probably way later. "Won't be able to tell you too much else; Orre wasn't really known for having special Pokeballs. You could only find them if you had money and dug around for the right seller."

Orre. Eugh. He suppressed a shudder. Orre wasn't really known for much of anything except being a hellhole. Which he could personally attest to. Did this poor boy come from Orre? He must, if he mentioned the region like that. Ouch.

"Concerning the three standard variations, yes, that is basically all that separates them-- apart from external appearances, of course," Giovanni added, and Looker turned to face him, eager to move onto happier thoughts. And what happier thoughts than a Pokemon lesson! "However, there are, as you can see, many, many more than those, and with those other variations are different effects on the Pokemon they're trying to capture. For example, the ball you were enamored with prior is a Heal Ball. If a pokemon is caught in it, it is healed to top fighting shape, instead of retaining its wounds it sustained in battle with you, making it choice for long bouts of travel between cities. There's also a Dusk Ball next to it, the green one. Its specialty is to capture pokemon at night or in dark places, such as caves. That one is one of my favorites."

His teacher chuckled and leaned on one of the display cases as Looker's curious eyes looked back to the pokeballs he'd pointed out. "Do you have a fancy for any other ones here? Perhaps you could take a few if you wish. I don't see how it could hurt anyone."

No, he realized, it couldn't. Unless he completely cleaned the shop out and screwed over another traveler, but he'd never dream of that. Not to mention it was just impossible in terms of practicality.

Taking a pokeball. He'd considered it once or twice when hiding in Marts, but never did so. Most of the time he reasoned with himself that it was because there were only a few left. Why should he deprive some poor scavenger who actually had pokemon companions the joy of being able to add more to their family? But he knew every time that was not the only reason, and it worried him. Why should he feel so much apprehension in the idea of adopting a companion that the majority of humanity seemed to adore cultivating a relationship with? Was he afraid, perhaps, of forging relationships only to find that something in his hidden past would jeopardize it?

Or was he afraid of loss again? Either seemed possible. Likely, even.

But as he glanced over at sweet Miranda digging into the case and pulling out a pokeball he'd spotted but not yet examined, he shoved his thoughts aside. It was a tantalizingly pretty ball, black with red and gold trim. Something in the sight of it set his heart aching with a sharp pang and it was all he could do to hide the flinch and keep smiling.

Why did that hurt?

"This one is my favorite," the girl said with a big smile that made his own feel more natural. "It's called a Luxury Ball and was quite popular here in Lumiose, not just for how pretty and expensive it looks. A pokemon caught in this ball becomes friendlier to its trainer, letting bonds form more quickly. This paired with Kalos's prided technique of daily bonding and play time was a sure way to get a partner pokemon quickly regardless of the trainer's personal experience."

"... That's right; there are pokemon that evolve when they bond with their trainer, isn't there?" Looker remembered. "And even if evolution isn't the goal, it still sounds wonderful for the pokemon..." He stood and stretched a moment before walking over to the case to look, glancing inside.

Several more Luxury Balls. Surely it wouldn't matter if he took just one...?

Deciding to be a little more honest, he admitted, "I felt something, just now, when you held that up. May I see that for a moment?" Maybe a closer look would help. They'd be here awhile so surely it couldn't hurt.

"Concerning the three standard variations, yes, that is basically all that separates them-- apart from external appearances, of course," Giovanni agreed. "However, there are, as you can see, many, many more than those, and with those other variations are different effects on the Pokemon they're trying to capture. For example, the ball you were enamored with prior is a Heal Ball. If a pokemon is caught in it, it is healed to top fighting shape, instead of retaining its wounds it sustained in battle with you, making it choice for long bouts of travel between cities. There's also a Dusk Ball next to it, the green one. Its specialty is to capture pokemon at night or in dark places, such as caves. That one is one of my favorites." Oh a Dusk Ball! Vitaly perked up a little when he heard that, and he looked towards Drizzt. The Weavile was still perched near the windows, but he turned to meet eyes with him for a brief second to indicate that he was listening to the conversation, and then he turned back to guard without saying anything.

"Do you have a fancy for any other ones here? Perhaps you could take a few if you wish. I don't see how it could hurt anyone." Even though Giovanni was clearly talking to Looker, Vitaly had been considering the matter too. Pelor wasn't his Pokemon, technically, and if they were successful in saving Father Jude, he would hand the Father the Luxury ball back immediately. There was also the practical necessity of getting Siyal a Pokeball.

Before he could turn and ask the Nitemare what he would like, Miranda opened a dusty glass case and pulled out a Pokeball that was as familiar to Vitaly as it was to Pelor.  "This one is my favorite," she said as she held it out to Looker to observe. "It's called a Luxury Ball and was quite popular here in Lumiose, not just for how pretty and expensive it looks. A pokemon caught in this ball becomes friendlier to its trainer, letting bonds form more quickly. This paired with Kalos's prided technique of daily bonding and play time was a sure way to get a partner pokemon quickly regardless of the trainer's personal experience."

The description made Vitaly's interested smile fall, and when Pelor saw that, he whispered, "I promise there's nothing about it that makes Pokemon like the trainer. It's like what Jude said. Luxury balls are just... more comfortable? It's weird. But there isn't anything about them that forces us to like whoever holds them."

Vitaly let the matter drop, but he did seem to relax a little. During this, they missed Looker's face when he properly observed the Luxury ball, but the sight of the expensive Pokeball must have triggered something in his mind. He walked over to look into the case "... That's right; there are pokemon that evolve when they bond with their trainer, isn't there? And even if evolution isn't the goal, it still sounds wonderful for the pokemon..." He then said, "I felt something, just now, when you held that up. May I see that for a moment?" That caught Vitaly's curiosity enough to distract him from the discomfort, and he waited to see what happened.

"This one is my favorite," Miss LeClair swooned as she pulled out a Luxury ball. Giovanni smiled at the new, if not expected, knowledge. As someone from a city such as this, it made sense she would gravitate towards that particular ball. A fine choice. "It's called a Luxury Ball and was quite popular here in Lumiose, not just for how pretty and expensive it looks. A pokemon caught in this ball becomes friendlier to its trainer, letting bonds form more quickly. This paired with Kalos's prided technique of daily bonding and play time was a sure way to get a partner pokemon quickly regardless of the trainer's personal experience."

There was a bit of whispering after her description, but Giovanni was too far for the hushed voice. It seemed that one of Vitaly's pokemon had an opinion on the ball, but he honestly couldn't imagine what it could be. There were far worse fates than being stuck in a Luxury ball. Which... Giovanni glanced to the stallion in the corner, who seemed to be awkwardly watching the interaction. He felt a small prick of... well, not guilt per se, remorse perhaps?- that he hadn't paid the creature much mind. He was a powerful beast and seemed amenable to their current course of action. Perhaps he could sway the stallion to properly join his team with Scout's help. His eyes turned to the display case of balls. He'd likely need to take one of his own, then...

His small revelation nearly cost Giovanni an important revelation on Looker's face. The mobster's attention went straight to the detective and his face was kept passive as Looker's eyes ran over the Luxury ball. It was clear something was there, desperately trying to make itself known... Fascinating. "... That's right; there are pokemon that evolve when they bond with their trainer, isn't there? And even if evolution isn't the goal, it still sounds wonderful for the pokemon..." His voice was airy as his nose caught a scent of an old memory. Had Looker's pokemon been in Luxury balls? Giovanni couldn't really recall, but it was probable. His heart beat in his throat as adrenaline once more pumped through his veins. Would the amnesia keep its hold? Would his Harbinger reign supreme still, even as Looker's mind so feverishly attempted to break free? "I felt something, just now, when you held that up. May I see that for a moment?"

Waiting with baited breath, Giovanni stood still and watched, almost eager to see what would unfold.

"... That's right; there are pokemon that evolve when they bond with their trainer, isn't there?" Looker seemingly remembered with a strange look on his face. Miranda became a little worried when his tone devolved into almost melancholy. Had she said something wrong? "And even if evolution isn't the goal, it still sounds wonderful for the pokemon..."

Miranda stayed quiet as Looker disappeared into his own mind for a few moments, hesitant to break whatever took hold of the man if it meant he might remember something of his own past. She had only known the man the better part of a day but in that time he had been nothing but kind to her. If a simple little poke ball triggered something in his memories then it was worth keeping her questions to herself as she watched the myriad of changes taking place on Looker's face. It was like watching have a whole conversation with himself only none of them could hear it.

"I felt something, just now, when you held that up. May I see that for a moment?"

"O-Oh, of course!" Perking up at the man's voice and the possibility that he was indeed holding onto the thread of a memory Miranda smiled warmly and held the Luxury ball out to him, depositing the smooth orb into his waiting hands gently. "I hope it helps in some way. If you would like to see what happens when a Pokemon is summoned from one I can help with that too, half my team has Luxury balls. Just...let us know if you have any questions...okay?"

((lol I can't believe her gold badge post is so short and empty. But since only Looker is talking to her that's just how the story played out. HAPPY GOLD MIRANDA!))

"O-Oh, of course!" Miranda gently handed him the ball, eyes bright with excitement. Looker's heart thudded faster as he stared at the innocent little thing in his hands, lifting it up to eye level.

There was something, something there.

"I hope it helps in some way. If you would like to see what happens when a Pokemon is summoned from one I can help with that too, half my team has Luxury balls. Just...let us know if you have any questions...okay?"

He nodded, his brow's furrow deepening.

Come on! Come on! I know there's something! Something sweet and good and so tantilizingly close.

A moment later, he lowered it, feeling a sinking feeling of grief trying to take over his stomach. "... It... There's a comforting familiarity there. Something that... makes me feel relaxed? But whatever the reason is for that, it's not surfacing..."

He gave the girl a smile, a sadder one than he would have liked, and handed the ball back. "I'm not sure if seeing it in action would help, but I'm sure it also couldn't hurt. And I haven't met all of your friends yet! Just, perhaps, pick a smaller one. Limited room and all that."

"O-Oh, of course!" Miranda didn't fight handing over the empty Luxury ball, and then offered, "I hope it helps in some way. If you would like to see what happens when a Pokemon is summoned from one I can help with that too, half my team has Luxury balls. Just...let us know if you have any questions...okay?"

Looker held the Luxury ball close to his face as he stared at it, and Vitaly wondered if he would would be fortunate enough to remember anything. He himself wondered what that realization would feel like, but he had long shoved away that endeavor. After a long moment, Looker lowered the ball and said, "... It... There's a comforting familiarity there. Something that... makes me feel relaxed? But whatever the reason is for that, it's not surfacing..." He sounded extremely disappointed, but he then tried to change topics by handing the ball back and saying, "I'm not sure if seeing it in action would help, but I'm sure it also couldn't hurt. And I haven't met all of your friends yet! Just, perhaps, pick a smaller one. Limited room and all that."

Vitaly didn't have much to add, and even though he could recall and release Pelor again, he kinda got the feeling that Looker was specifically asking Miranda. So he continued to observe, and waited to see which of her other Pokemon made an appearance.

"O-Oh, of course!" Miss LeClair was immediately accommodating, handing the Luxury ball over to the amnesiac detective without a moment's hesitation. "I hope it helps in some way. If you would like to see what happens when a Pokemon is summoned from one I can help with that too, half my team has Luxury balls. Just...let us know if you have any questions...okay?"

Giovanni's eyes stayed trained on Looker as the latter carefully studied the ball in his hands. Any sign of recognition or epiphany, any twitch of the eye or mouth could mean that Looker had regained a memory-- and that memory could include Giovanni. Again, it wasn't out of fear that Giovanni was so enraptured, but that the entire situation was one giant, beautiful gamble drowning in irony. Either way, Giovanni saw it as a win: if Looker remembered, then it would be a harrowing fight between them and the others; a day to truly remember and likely a true end to one of his most annoying nemesis. Remembering that look of loss and defeat on the boat was one of Giovanni's favorite memories of the detective and to add to that the look on his face when he realized he was traveling with a notorious mob lord... Delicious. If the amnesia held, however, well... one more tally on the tapestry of his personal victories.

Waiting with baited breath, Giovanni eagerly watched as Looker stayed silent, turning the ball over in his hands. But nothing came. "... It... There's a comforting familiarity there," he finally spoke. "Something that... makes me feel relaxed? But whatever the reason is for that, it's not surfacing..." The disappointment in his voice was palatable, but he tried to keep himself optimistic nonetheless. Meanwhile, Giovanni stifled a grin as he inwardly basked in the power of his Harbingers. "I'm not sure if seeing it in action would help, but I'm sure it also couldn't hurt. And I haven't met all of your friends yet! Just, perhaps, pick a smaller one. Limited room and all that."

Pleased and satisfied, Giovanni pushed himself off the wall on which he'd been leaning and moved toward the stallion. He knew the statement was directed at Miss LeClair and thus had no need to respond to it. Besides, all of his pokemon were too large for this tiny shop. So, he thought his time would be best spent bonding with the stallion. He quietly spoke to the creature, brushing the horse's fur and calming the beast down further. He could use a specimen such as this one.

Miranda watched with patient fascination as Looker attempted to solve the puzzle that was his own mind. She didn't mean to pity the man but it was impossible not to feel sympathy for his situation. She was sure she wouldn't be strong enough to survive losing all her memories like that.

"... It... There's a comforting familiarity there. Something that... makes me feel relaxed? But whatever the reason is for that, it's not surfacing..."

Miranda's disappointment was as obvious on her face as it was on Looker's. She truly hoped something might surface and offer the older man some relief. "I'm not sure if seeing it in action would help, but I'm sure it also couldn't hurt. And I haven't met all of your friends yet! Just, perhaps, pick a smaller one. Limited room and all that."

"That should be simple enough," Miranda replied with an encouraging smile. She had just the right pokemon for a small area, and it was one that brought back fond memories for Miranda as well. Reaching into her bag the young girl pulled out an older Luxury Ball with two golden initials embossed on the top. GL.

With an almost sad smile Miranda tossed the ball and a flash of red, shimmering light dazzled the eye as a small shape took form, barely the size of the ball it emerged from. A tiny green and white fairy hovered in the air between Miranda and Looker, dangling delicately from a brilliant red flower as it observed the new people curiously. Miranda smiled at the little Floette and held out her hand inviting to small fairy to perch.

"Mr. Looker, meet Aimée. She was my mother's best friend when I was younger. Aimée say hello to Mr. Looker, he and his friend have been helping us so I am trying to help him in return." The small fairy took another look at the newest man in her trainer's life and offered him a smile and polite bow before settling in Miranda's hand. The Floette couldn't help but be intrigued by the strange people her young friend tended to collect.

"That should be simple enough," the girl said with a smile, but Looker hadn't missed the disapppointment that crossed her face. For one wild moment, he wished he'd lied, but he knew that the idea was ridiculous. What sort of story could he even tell? Not to mention if he got lucky and remembered something later, whatever he might remember could contradict whatever story he might make up.

Even so, it wasn't fun, knowing he'd made the girl sad.

He watched as Miranda withdrew a luxury ball of her own, gold lettering on the top that was a little too far away for him to read before she tossed the ball to wake up the person sleeping inside. Looker's eyes widened in wonder as, in a flash of red and golden sparkles, a tiny creature took shape, so focused on the emerging fairy that he didn't notice how the ball bounced back to its owner.

They're so little! he thought as the tiny little thing peered curiously at them from around their bright red flower. Looked like the creature themselves was the green and white body and the flower was more of an acessory. They used it to hover in the air like a magical umbrella. A fairy, right?

Miranda smiled her little friend and held out her hand, her companion taking her offer and alighting on her hand. They still didn't let go of the flower despite having a perch now. Huh.

"Mr. Looker, meet Aimée," she introduced, and Looker smiled at the little one and waved. Was her size indicative of her age? Was this a baby, or were they all this tiny regardless of age? "She was my mother's best friend when I was younger."

Okay, fully grown adult, probably near his own estimated age. Got it.

"Aimée say hello to Mr. Looker, he and his friend have been helping us so I am trying to help him in return."

"Good afternoon, ma'am." he said, feeling his smile relax and widen into something bright and happy. It was always fun, meeting new people! Especially when those people were definitely not going to try to stab him. "It's a pleasure to meet you! And it's been wonderful travelling with your trainer."

Miranda pulled out a Luxury ball with a quiet assurance, and for a moment she looked a little melancholy before releasing the creature inside. The Pokemon that came out was a very small one that Vitaly didn't recognize. The fairy clung to a flower that was nearly bigger than it was, and it soon perched on Miranda's outstretched hand. "Mr. Looker, meet Aimée. She was my mother's best friend when I was younger. Aimée say hello to Mr. Looker, he and his friend have been helping us so I am trying to help him in return."

The introduction was short and to the point, but Vitaly's mind hooked onto the name. Something about it... felt familiar. The Kalosian accent muddled it, but the name. He tightened his grip on the nearly forgotten catalog in his hand as he tried to place it. It felt important somehow. Like he should know that name as well as his own. The age old fear that maybe he was better off not knowing his past was resisted when confronted with a potential clue. It was like trying to grab water, and for once, he dove in after.

Pelor felt the young man shift, and when the Larvesta looked up, Vitaly looked as if he had completely spaced out of the conversation going on. It was strange to see him like that since he was normally on edge most of the time. Concerned, Pelor then crawled further onto Vitaly's lap in an attempt to get  his attention and to gauge if he was okay. It wasn't unheard of for certain phrases or words to catch Vitaly's attention in the worst way, but Pelor couldn't figure out what Miranda could have said to cause that kind of reaction.

The weight of the bug shifting to his lap and then torso didn't catch his attention, but the sudden face full of white fuzz and large blue eyes did. Vitaly flinched back to reality; the pursuit of the familiar thought slipped even further beyond his grasp before he finally let it go.

"I'm fine, really. It's... nothing," Vitaly answered the unasked question. There was an implied "I'll tell you later," and Pelor, still concerned, took the answer for now, and crawled back to the floor to take some of the pressure off Vitaly. There were a lot of things these people didn't know, and Vitaly wouldn't want to air out his story to such a group of people.