CHAPTER FOURTEEN: A TALE AS OLD AS TIME

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One month passed until Alice and Ken heard from the Kalos Hotspot Tour team. The organization had spent the time dodging lawsuits and informing the public that no major harm befell on the Trainers. Fortunately, most of the mob's interest in the topic dissipated and they found new events to get angry over.

Meanwhile, Alice convinced Ken to binge watch the underground fight club drama with her. In return, she had to read a favorite novel of his. During the daytime they went back to working in the nursery, playing with baby Pokémon and earning money for the tour.

The night before their departure, the duo received an email with the tour's information. It had an itinerary, the rules they were required to obey, and 'fun facts' about the hosts.

"Bailey likes to scrapbook, run marathons, roller-skate, make veggie smoothies—" her nose wrinkled in disgust "—and do karaoke," Alice read aloud. "Dan's personal talents include scuba diving, rock climbing, Geodude impersonations, face painting... and pole-dancing?"

"Do tell me you're joking."

"Oh Arceus, they have a photo."

"Don't you dare sho— what in the Distortion World is that?"

"I thought you said cussing was bad."

With a bold profile flaunting talents such as those, neither Ken nor Alice knew what to expect from the hosts. The fact that the next day these said hosts pulled up to the Bristow household in a lime green convertible sporting pop music at an ear-splitting volume made the two all the more hesitant to open the front door.

"Hi, guys! How are y'all doing?" Bailey greeted brightly.

"Good," Alice answered, grinning back. She wouldn't put it past Ken to give a painfully honest response. "How are you?"

"I'm doing great! I tried some tea from Alola and it is de-li-cious~" The hostess turned to Dan who was on his phone. "Right, Danny?"

"Right," he agreed. He pocketed the device and set his hands on his hips. "As soon as you two are done getting dressed, we'll hit the road."

"We are dressed," Ken returned.

He glanced down at his outfit of jeans and a white button-up short sleeve t-shirt. Alice's summer dress didn't scream 'pajamas', either.

"Didn't you read the rules?" Dan chuckled, wriggling his brows. "They say to wear a specific color every day for safety reasons."

"Color coordination!" Bailey chirped. She tugged on her dandelion-colored tank top and Dan's neon t-shirt. "It's cute and efficient. Today we're wearing yellow."

Ken pursed his lips in a straight line and shot Alice an annoyed look. Her smile twitched and she scratched her cheek, her eyes darting around while she thought. She opened her mouth to say something only to close it and force a giggle.

"We'll be fast," she said.

Alice nudged Ken upstairs, rolling her eyes as he criticized the hosts and their rules. She changed into shorts and a pastel blouse and sulked when she packed up her dress. The brunette paused before she left and gave her room one last look.

I'll see you soon, my sweet, sweet, comfortable bed, she thought.

She stepped outside and closed her door then clasped her hand over her mouth. Ken donned a black-and-yellow striped polo reminiscent of a Vespiquen. The bright color caused his pale complexion seem even duller.

"How many striped shirts do you own?" she asked incredulously.

"More than five," he replied, adjusting his collar.

Alice bit her lip to stifle her laughter and they went downstairs. Everyone in the household had gathered in the foyer. The grandparents spoke with Dan while Bailey animatedly told stories to anyone else who would listen. Dedenne had been perched on Irene's shoulder until it caught glimpse of Ken and ran.

"The stars of the show are here," Joe announced, quieting the adults. "You kids behave yourself. I don't want to come out to Shalour 'cause you got arrested."

"I'll do my best," Alice promised.

"As will I," Ken added.

Her mother squeezed Alice in a tight embrace. "Call us every night, and make sure to have fun." She let go of her daughter and threw her arms around a frozen Ken. "That means you, too, mister!"

He awkwardly patted her back. "Understood."

Bailey hopped and pumped her fist in the air, shouting, "Let's go!"

Alice absorbed the hostess' enthusiasm and beamed ear to ear. She grabbed Ken's hand and chased after the hyper redhead to the flamboyant car. They didn't get very far as Dan was the one with the keys, so when Bailey jumped into the vehicle its alarms went off.

Ken pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Our hosts are clowns, and this tour will be a circus. So much for a 'relaxing, luxurious vacation'.

* * *

Much to Alice's and Ken's horror, it turned out that Dan was an aggressive driver. He sped in and out between cars on the roads, terrorizing the unfortunate people who happened to be near him. Bailey paid no heed as she upped the radio as loud as it could go and sang along to every song. Every passerby swung their heads to watch the foursome whirl past them, mortifying the teenagers stuck in the backseat.

The car decelerated to a moderate speed upon arriving at the twisting road leading up to the Parfum Palace. Alice watched young trainers flounder blindly through the tall grass just to come across others who were lurking in the shadows waiting to battle someone. She chuckled when a young boy released a Snorlax and had it walk in front of him, creating a path of flattened plants.

Once at the foot of a hill, Dan turned around in his seat and said, "You guys get out with Bailey here. Don't worry about your luggage. I need to park Sassy." He quickly added, "Sassy's the name of the car."

The duo grabbed their bags and trailed behind Bailey as they marched up the hill. Bailey plucked a contractible rod out of her fanny pack and looped a yellow cloth onto its hook at the end. She elongated the tool and brandished it, waving her flag in rhythm with her steps.

Ken kept his voice low and muttered, "The Gogoat race felt more secure than that car ride. I don't believe Dan and Bailey are trustworthy."

"Maybe they're just really excited," Alice suggested. "I don't think they've ever done this before. We're their testing dummies."

"That's no excuse to speed."

"I mean you're not wrong, but please be nice to them. They're paying for everything."

"I would never jeopardize our safety," he asserted, his face going taut and eyes hardening to steel.

Alice nodded slowly, taken off guard by his sudden change in attitude. "Um, okay."

Bailey regrouped with the two and reminded them to stick together with her. She launched into the romantic story of how the Parfum Palace was created, passionately reenacting scenes that supposedly happened. Three hundred years ago, a mighty king had won a war against his neighboring kingdoms and decided to display the riches he acquired by building the most extravagant castle in the world.

Parfum Palace lived up to its reputation. No picture did it justice. The shining mansion stretched across the hilltop in three segments, all of which kissed the cloudless sky with their sapphire-colored shingles. Elegant lampposts dotted the cobblestone path leading up to the golden gate embellished with metallic Serperior. Stewards dressed to the nines in their navy blue tuxedos posed as noble statues when they weren't assisting tourists.

Alice became one with the tourists, turning on the camera hanging around her neck and snapping photos of anything and everything. She 'ooh'ed and 'ahh'ed under her breath and grinned whenever she captured a pleasing picture.

"Don't use all your memory before we enter," Ken reminded her.

In retaliation, Alice aimed the lens at him and chirped, "Cheese!"

"Alice."

Alice giggled when she checked the camera roll to view the picture. Ken had his brows drawn together and mouth parted as he scolded her. A little girl and Whismur photobombed in the background. Alice tore her gaze away from the screen to search for the two, but all she found was Ken glowering.

"Come on, y'all," Bailey called, waving her flag in circles, "let's go inside!"

The trio strode into the grand foyer and could barely believe their eyes. A golden statue of the world's most beautiful Pokémon sat dead center, nearly touching the high ceiling with the ribbons bound to its temples. The Milotic glared down the entrance as if everyone was a mere pest. Even the Bisharp lining the walls acted as guards who would dispose of anyone who dared to cross their beloved Milotic.

"There's so much gold!" Alice gasped.

"How much did it take to construct this?" Ken asked Bailey, unable to look away from the Milotic.

Bailey held up her finger. "One minute, please." She searched through her pamphlet. "The Parfum Palace cost over three hundred billion Pokédollars."

The hostess spouted a stream of facts whilst leading the duo through the building. Real gold adorned the walls in intricate patterns, pausing only for classical paintings featuring the royal family. Rich red, pure ivory, and deep blue coated every decoration except for the chandeliers harboring precious jewels up above.

Ken admired the architecture quietly, not saying a word as he examined the rooms. He ran his fingers along the ancient furniture and décor. However, he couldn't appreciate the art for long. He'd catch Alice wandering off to photograph something and would have to drag her back. He noticed a group of trainers watching them and instinctively reached for his Poké Balls in his backpack.

"Calm down, Ken," Bailey chided, poking him with her flag. "They're just curious. You were on TV, remember?"

"I could never forget the competition that nearly killed me and my partner," he said bluntly.

She gave him a tight-lipped smile. "Why don't you try talking to them?"

"I'm not a social Butterfree," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest. Where's Alice?

"There's no time like the present!" Bailey sang.

The moment she paused to sneeze, Ken slid behind a bust on a pedestal and escaped her presence. He quickly weaved his way through a party gathered by a throne. At the corner of the room concealed from the company was Alice with her fingers on a door handle, checking left and right in a suspicious manner.

She spotted Ken and waved him over then announced in a hushed voice, "I found a secret room."

"With a small door such as that, it's probably a janitor's closet," he pointed out.

"I want to see the world's fanciest janitor's closet," Alice chimed.

Ken knocked her hand away before it could twist the crystal doorknob. "The door's closed. I doubt visitors are allowed in there."

"But I need to get pictures of everything," she protested, "Rosie asked me to."

"Rosie can visit Parfum Palace herself."

Alice bit her bottom lip, making her thinking face. However, contrary the other times she harbored the expression in the presence of Ken, mischief twinkled in her umber hues. She rested her palm against the wall then floundered. Her hand fell onto the handle, cracking the entryway wide open.

"Oops, my hand slipped," she joked. "Looks like we have to go in."

She slid past the threshold, and Ken shook his head then pursued. He shut the door behind him then looked up, and his jaw dropped.

An enormous window covering the front wall was made of stained glass depicting an ethereal scene. The vibrant shards formed a single rose-colored Pokémon hovering above the earth with its eyes sealed shut and arms placed over its chest. Daylight shone through the art, painting the otherwise flat interior with diffused rainbows.

"Mew," Alice breathed. She wandered towards the stained glass window and cupped her hands, holding the pink light the legendary cast. "This library's so beautiful. Why would they section it off?"

The blond failed to reply, having disappeared amongst the aisles of towering shelves full of books. He checked the spine of each novel, searching for anything dealing with Arceus. Maybe, just maybe, he would be able to find something useful. He doubted it.

Alice set her gaze upon a pedestal directly below the Mew. A large book sat on it, covering the entire surface. She caressed the yellow-tinted pages and turned them, scanning the cursive words indenting the papers. Her movements stopped when she saw a drawing of Mew dancing around a circle of adolescents. The work's title had her tilt her head to the side.

"Mew's children?" she whispered. She called out, "Hey, Ken! I found a book you might like. It's not about aliens, but it has myths. Aliens and myths go together, right?"

He remembered the 'aliens caused the world's phenomenons' show Alice watched and went to her side. "I would like books concerning Arceus, not Mew," he said once he saw it.

"But it has that legend stuff. I thought you liked stories like that." She gestured to the short passage. "See? It says that once upon a time, Mew became attached to some humans so it gave them, uh, powers."

That caught his attention. He read aloud, "After the Great Kalosian War, the region laid in shambles. Humanity and Pokémon lived separate lives. Trust was a myth. Mew, the world's caregiver, took to the land to heal it. Mew befriended a family whose hearts were pure and loving and bestowed upon them the ability to bond with Pokémon unlike any human before."

"I've heard of that," Alice said, tapping the text. "It's a bedtime story my parents told me. It's funny they put in a big book about the Kalos' history. At least that's what I think the cover says. It's kind of faded so it's hard to tell."

He paused, debating with himself. "Alice."

"Yeah?" She cocked her head to the side.

I trust her. "Do you believe in ultra-powerful family lines connected to legendaries?"

She looked up at the crafted Mew. The longer she stared at it the more she appreciated the artist who created it. "I'd like to think they're real. It's cool to think there are people who've connected with legendary Pokémon. They're like real-life superheroes. I'm not sure how much good a 'pure heart' can do, though."

He chuckled at her innocent answer. "Canalave Library has accounts such as these. One features Arceus and its own clan."

Alice's eyes widened. "Whoa, Arceus has a clan?"

"Yes, in th—"

The door swung open, and Bailey and Dan entered with disappointed frowns.

Not even 24 hours in and we've already caused trouble, Alice lamented.

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Author's Note

Ken and Alice: Let's not get in trouble

Ken and Alice: *goes into restricted library .003 seconds later*

Hypocrites lmao

Thank you so much, FallOfRempire, for your amazing work ♡

Question of the Chapter: What do you think the third main character (who's appearing next chapter :D) will be like?