Ch. 9 Forgotten Promise

            There were many reasons Vye had wished the dream had lasted longer. The most obvious of which was that she didn’t know where to start looking for Lukk because she hadn’t gotten enough detail from him. All he had been able to say was to go to the ocean, but Kalos had an ocean on three of its sides. She could go north, east, or west, and find an ocean.

            But that didn’t mean she would also find Lukk.

            Vye had managed to get a little more sleep that night, but not much. She was too anxious to want to sit still. She didn’t know where she needed to go or what the hurry was. But just like the last time she had met Lukk in her dreams, she felt like she missed him. That he was supposed to be some important part of her life she needed to have around. Maybe it was because of their auras, like Lukk had mentioned. Vye didn’t know much about that stuff, but whatever the reason she was determined to find Lukk, it was reason enough for her.

            So Vye was packing her things, ready to leave as soon her as her Pokemon were done eating their breakfast. She was dressed and pacing around the hotel room gathering her belongings while her Pokemon ate. They were watching her curiously and ate mostly in silence. Vye had explained how she had met a Lucario in her dreams and how she was now wanting to go find him. But in her agitated state, Vye wasn’t able to think very clearly, let alone communicate effectively. So they didn’t completely understand. They just could see that it was important to her and that was all that mattered.

            Vye put some of her clothes away into her pack. She was muttering to herself, listing everything she should have to make sure she didn’t forget anything.

            “Wallet, Poke Balls,” she listed softly, “medicines, food, money… PokeNav… socks, shoes…”

            It was then Vye heard a knocking at the door. She looked over at it, a little confused. It was still early. Would that be the cleaning service already? She had notified the front desk she was checking out but were they already trying to get her out of there?

            Vye went to the door and opened it. It wasn’t the cleaning staff standing there. There were two men, both with identical red hair and red suits. They were also both wearing sunglasses. This made them look like copies of the same person.

            “Miss Brante?” one of them said.

            “Yeah?” Vye returned.

            “We are here on behalf of Lysandre,” the other said. “He is in the restaurant downstairs, hoping to have a word with you.”

            Vye stared at them. She was too distracted to try and figure out who they were talking about. So after a moment, she uttered gruffly, “Who?”

            The two men glanced at each other, apparently surprised she didn’t know. They turned back to her and one reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card.

            “Lysandre,” he repeated, handing her the card. “He said you were acquainted. We work for him.”

            Vye took the card and looked it over. The card did look a little familiar. It still took a bit for her brain to catch up to what was going on. She remembered meeting some strange man the day they had arrived in Lumiose City, but she hadn’t bothered to figure out who he was. She hadn’t even thought about him.

            “Look,” Vye said, holding the card back up to him, “whatever your boss is selling, I’m not buying.”

            The man instinctively took the card back. Vye then closed the door again. She headed back into the room to keep gathering her things.

            Her Pokemon had finished eating so Vye took the food bowls and threw them in her pack. She zipped it up and then turned to her tablet again. She brought the map up of Kalos. At some point she was going to have to figure out where she was going. Even if it ended up being the wrong direction, at least she was trying. She couldn’t just wait around in hopes another dream would come and give her the answers.

            Such was Vye’s normal thought process. At least do something.

            Unsure what else to do, Vye went up to a table and put the tablet down. She spun the tablet around. She then covered her eyes with one hand and pointed at the tablet with the other, stopping it from spinning.

            She opened her eyes and looked down at the map. She was pointing at the western coast of Kalos.

            “Good enough,” she decided aloud, picking up the tablet again.

            Vye took it back to her back pack and slid it inside. She zipped up the last pocket and turned to Kidd, Zagg, and Pebb.

            “Are we ready to go find Lukk?” she asked.

            Her Pokemon smiled and nodded. They weren’t entirely sure who Lukk was, but they were prepared to follow Vye to find him.

            Vye turned to leave with her Pokemon following her. When she opened the room door, she discovered the two men from before hadn’t moved and were still in on the other side of her door. She looked at them, surprised. Pebb noticed the strangers as well and ducked behind Vye’s shoulder.

            “Still here?” Vye asked.

            “Mr. Lysandre is waiting for you,” one of them said.

            “Why?” she asked.

            “He wants to speak to you,” the other repeated.

            “Why?” Vye inquired again.

            “Will you just go meet with him?” the first one complained, beginning to be annoyed.

            Vye rolled her eyes. “No,” she responded, stepping out into the hall. Once Zagg and Kidd had followed her out, she closed the door. She turned and headed down the hall.

            “But he-” one of them began as they followed her.

            “I’ve got better things to do than listen to his sales pitch,” Vye said.

            “…Do you honestly think he’s a salesman?” one of them asked her.

            Vye reached the elevator. She pressed the button. Apparently it was on her level as the doors opened right away. She and her Pokemon stepped inside and she turned to face the men again. They stopped outside the elevator.

            “I don’t care what he is,” she told them, pressing the button for the lobby. “I don’t have to speak with him, and so I won’t.”

            The doors started closing again and they realized they weren’t on it. One of them reached for the door just as it closed but was too late to stop it.

            The two of them looked at each other, apparently unsure of what to do next.

            The hotel Vye had been staying in had a restaurant on the bottom floor for guests to dine if they wanted. They also offered a free breakfast in one of the banquet halls, but it mostly consisted of fruits, donuts, bread, and other light items. For a full meal guests would have to order from the restaurant and eat there.

            Vye had no interest in doing so and just wanted to grab something quick she could eat on her way. So she walked right past the restaurant area without giving it much thought.

            As the two men had told her, Lysandre was waiting there in the restaurant. He was sitting alone at one of the tables. Vye didn’t see him as she went by, but he saw her. While she had been on the elevator, she had recalled her Pokemon and so for the time being she was alone. Lysandre watched as she walked right past without even glancing in his direction. He waited a moment to be sure, but she didn’t seem to be coming back, and so he got to his feet.

            Lysandre left the dining area and looked in the direction Vye had gone. He saw her just as she entered the room with the free breakfast items. He followed after her.

            Vye was gathering some food as Lysandre approached her. She already had an apple in her mouth and was holding it between her teeth as she picked up some berries and other fruit. She was sliding them into her pack next to her.

            “Ms. Brante,” he greeted.

            Vye glanced at him for a moment, but then turned back to what she was doing. She moved down the line a bit to get to some donuts.

            “Did… my messengers find you?” he asked.

            Vye took hold of the apple and took the bite out of it.  She chewed.

            “Yeah,” she said. “But whatever it is you want, I don’t have time.”

            “We can reschedule,” he offered kindly.

            Vye didn’t seem to hear him. She put the apple back in her mouth and slipped her back pack on. She took another bite out of the apple and started back towards the entrance of the room.

            “It took some time to find where you were staying,” Lysandre said, following her. “You should have called me. I could have gotten you into a hotel much more fitting. I can make arrangements for tonight, if you wish.”

            “I’m leaving Lumiose City,” Vye said. “I’m not sure when I’ll be back.”

            “Oh,” Lysandre said plainly.

            They entered the hallway. The two men from before had reached the bottom floor and were looking for them. They looked at Lysandre who noticed them as well. Vye ignored them and went down the hall in the other direction towards the front desk. Lysandre waved a hand at his men, motioning for them to stay where they were. He then hurried after Vye.

            “I see you’re in a hurry,” Lysandre mentioned.

            “Yep,” she acknowledged.

            “Is there anything I might be able to help with?” he inquired.

            “Nope,” she replied.

            The two of them reached the front desk. Vye pulled her room key out of her pocket and put it into a drop off box sitting on the counter. She then looked at an attendant to finish paying her bill.

            Lysandre stood by, apparently waiting for her. When Vye pulled out a card to pay with, he stepped forward while reaching into his jacket.

            “Allow me to take care of that for you,” he offered, pulling out his wallet.

            Vye shot him an odd glance. “You realize you are coming off as a total creeper, right?” she asked him. “Following me around, checking for what hotel I’m in, trying to get me to a new hotel?”

            Vye then turned back to hand the card to the hotel attendant who looked over at Lysandre as well. He smiled an awkward smile and laughed an embarrassed laugh. He put his wallet away while the attendant eyed him.

            Vye signed some papers for the attendant and then turned to leave. The attendant and Lysandre shared another glance before he followed Vye.

            “You’re distracted,” he noticed. “The reason you’re hurrying. It’s about a Pokemon, isn’t it?”

            “And what if it is?” Vye asked, a little annoyed he happened to be right.

            “Then I understand perfectly,” he said. “I would expect nothing less of you.”

            Vye came to a stop just in front of the hotel entrance. She turned and looked at him.

            “Okay,” she surrendered. “Who the heck are you? What do you want with me?”

            Lysandre was confused at first. “You still haven’t remembered?” he inquired.

            “No!” Vye blurted.

            “We met in Sinnoh,” he told her. “I was there for a conference. I saw you training your Pokemon.”

            Vye squinted at him. “And?” she asked eventually, not able to picture the scenario.

            He glanced around for a moment and then coughed nonchalantly. “Training all your Pokemon,” he added.

            Vye just stared at him, not getting what the comment was even supposed to imply. She had several Pokemon. She trained them. What was his point?

            After she didn’t catch on, Lysandre sighed.

            “Now is not a good time to talk,” he decided. He reached into the side pocket of his jacket and pulled out a flat device with one rounded edge. It was red in color and had a screen on one side and a lens on the other.

            “This is the newest model of our Holo Caster,” he told her, holding it up to her. “You can use it to get in touch with me.”

            Vye looked at, puzzled, and still annoyed. She eyed him again.

            “Or you with me,” she observed.

            He nodded, looking defeated.

            “You have to understand,” he told her, “I waited all these years for you to come to Kalos. Now that you’re here, I’d rather keep tabs on you.”

            “Creeper,” Vye repeated.

            “Just please take it,” he sighed. “I’m sure once you remember, you’ll understand why you should be more cooperative.”

            Vye grunted, just wanting to leave. She took the device from him, looking it over.

            Then she noticed the branding on the device read, “Lysandre Labs.”

            Vye looked back up at him. “Wait,” she said, “Lysandre Labs? Like you Lysandre Labs?”

            “I am the owner,” he smiled.

            Vye was having trouble piecing this information together. The lack of sleep, the early start, the incomplete breakfast, and her hurry to get to Lukk was clashing with figuring out what was currently happening to her.

            “Then why the crap do you need anything from me?!” she cried, much louder than she had intended.

            Lysandre smiled and gave a gentle chuckle. He lifted a hand and put it firmly on her shoulder.

            “The long wait aside,” he told her, “the timing of your arrival here is perfect. It is fate that brought you here, Ms. Brante. There is something I believe only you will be able to help me with.”

            “And I would do this… why?” she questioned.

            He chuckled again. He released her shoulder and turned around.

            “Think about it,” he said. “Once you remember, I think you’ll see I kept my end of our bargain. And I expect my repayment soon.” He glanced at her. “But you’re no good to me right now and I still have preparations to complete. Go take care of your business and return to Lumiose City. By then, I will be ready as well and the memories should have come back to you.”

            Lysandre then walked away without another word. Vye watched him, still confused. She looked at the Holo Caster in her hand.

            “Creeper,” she muttered again.

            With that, Vye turned and left the hotel. The issue of Lysandre was soon pushed out of her mind. All she cared about then was looking for Lukk.

            Soon Vye had left Lumiose City and was heading towards the western shore, and she hoped, her Lucario.