After a long day of traveling, Alex and Serena had finally arrived at the train station that would take them to the Coumarine Gym. Both of their legs ached from the extensive amount of walking they had just endured, and Serena was ready to collapse onto a bed for the night.

"How much further till the Pokémon Center?" She groaned, Alex checking his map on his Holo-Caster.

"There's actually a hotel here, if you want more privacy. It's closer than the Pokémon Center and probably a lot nicer." He suggested, though Serena shook her head at the prospect.

"I don't have the money to pay for another hotel stay, the Pokémon Center isn't too bad to stay in, let's just-"

"I'll pay for it."

Serena glanced up to Alex, a devious smirk upon his face as he pulled up the internal bank account within it, the glow of the screen lighting up his face in the dimming sky.

"You don't have to do that, really it's okay. I'm used to sleeping in Pokémon Centers by now." She said, though Alex waved her off.

"Might as well use Team Flare's money for nice lodgings if not anything else. You'll need to be rested for your battle against Ramos tomorrow." He said, though he hesitated before another smirk appeared on his face.

"We are in a resort though, perhaps we should take the day off and get to know each other better if we're going to continue this alliance. If you want to, of course."

Serena felt her face heat up at the idea. He wanted to spend time with her? Not for business, but just because? The thing that brought the most relief though was that he didn't want to end their alliance, even though they had completed the terms for the original basis of it. He wanted to stay with her, but for what reason she couldn't determine why. All she could hope was that he wouldn't change his mind.

"I'd love to explore the town more, but maybe after we get a night's rest. I'll take you up on that offer of a hotel stay, if you're still willing?" Serena teased, Alex stopping in front of a well-lit building and gesturing to the entrance.

"Shall we then?" He asked, Serena nodding as she followed in after him, the cold air of the air conditioning a welcome relief compared to the heat of the outdoors. The interior was fancier than the hotel in Geosenge Town, making Serena suddenly feel self-conscious as the fact that she looked a wreck right now after trekking all day hit her. Alex didn't seem fazed however as he strolled to the front counter.

"I'd like to book a room for the night, please." He said with practiced politeness and care, as though he had been doing this his entire life. Serena wondered what his life had been like before they had met, well more specifically what his life had been like before Team Flare. She knew that the entrance fee to Team Flare was quite high, so no doubt his family was wealthy to a degree. That then made her wonder if she had done things that he considered strange if they came from such different backgrounds.

"We have a room available, but it's a single room. Will that be alright?" The receptionist asked, Alex glancing back at Serena who had been standing behind him.

"Is that okay?" He asked, Serena nodding hesitantly at his question. She knew single rooms typically only came with one bed, but she was desperately hoping there would be a second bed or at least a couch. To her dismay however, there was only one bed and not much else. The room was clearly meant for sleeping and not much else, which she'd be fine with if it wasn't with someone she had just met and was having some strange thoughts about.

"I can go sleep at the Pokémon Center if sharing a bed would make you uncomfortable." Alex said, hand reaching for the doorknob before Serena pulled him away. Alex jolted at the sudden contact, ignoring how nice the feeling of her hands around his felt as she pleaded with him.

"Please, don't leave. You said Team Flare is tracking you, right? If they have access to your bank account as well as your location and then see you leave without checking out, it wouldn't take long to put things together and be suspicious. I can go sleep in the Pokémon Center if you're uncomfortable."

Alex shook his head as he gently pulled away from her, even if it pained him to do so.

"That wouldn't be fair to you, are you sure you'll be alright?" He asked, Serena nodding. She didn't want to drive away her main source of protection late at night, it was too dangerous. No, she could manage this. Alex had been respectful so far, it's not like he would suddenly throw all of that away, at least that's what she thought.

"I'll be fine, but I'm going to shower, then I'm going to bed. I'll be quick, I promise."

With that, she ducked into the bathroom, leaving Alex alone for the time being as he checked to make sure the door and windows were locked before finally slumping against the bed. Even with the lighter clothes he had been wearing, they were still sweaty and gross from the day's journey so he made the mental note to run down to the hotel's laundromat before he and Serena left for the day tomorrow. Or perhaps he could have clothes brought to the room? He wasn't sure. I'm

He heard the bathroom door open and glanced up to see Serena emerge, usual clothes replaced by a simple shirt and shorts and her hair still damp from the shower.

"Sorry I took so long, I didn't keep track of the time."

The apology went in one ear and out the other as Alex nodded, trying his hardest not to stare as he ducked into the bathroom. His exit was rather abrupt so it left Serena very confused as she fell back onto the bed. Exhaustion was already beginning to settle in as she heard the shower switch on. She burrowed under the blankets of the bed, feeling the comfiest she's ever felt in a long while.

"I guess the hotels get fancier the further you get from home." She thought, not that she minded. She heard the bathroom door open and glanced up to see Alex toweling his hair, though when he removed it she was too stunned to tease him.

He had finally taken his glasses off, revealing a pair of striking golden eyes from behind. His hair hadn't yet been combed and he was wearing more relaxed attire. He looked more...normal.

He looked up to see Serena ogling at him, feeling his face immediately heat up as he looked away.

"I thought you went to bed already, so I thought I could take off my glasses." He mumbled, Serena laughing as she moved to the furthest left of the bed as possible.

"I didn't mean to stare, I've just never seen your eyes before. You're always wearing those glasses of yours."

Alex said nothing as he hung the towel back in the bathroom before sitting on the right side of the bed. He said nothing as he slid under the covers, switching off the lamp and turning away from her. Serena thought she had embarrassed or even made him angry, before she heard him speak.

"I'm not used to people wanting to see my face. You're the first person in a long time who's wanted to see me as a person, not just another part of Team Flare."

"Alex?"

"I'm sorry, I can't even face you right now without getting embarrassed. It's been a while." Alex said quietly, turning over to face Serena, his eyes closed but Serena could sense he had more to say.

"Tomorrow, I want to try and leave this hotel without any glasses, any suit, anything that'll tie me to Team Flare. It gets a little stuffy after a while, I want to experience this resort to the fullest, with you."

Serena was shocked by how vulnerable he was willing to be with her. She had a feeling he hadn't been able to talk about this with anyone, those on Team Flare most likely not that accepting of those with treasonous intentions. That worried her more than anything.

"Do you ever think you'll return to Team Flare?" She asked, the silence seeming almost suffocating as the question hung in the air. Alex's eyes opened, the gold irises capturing the faint moonlight that illuminated the room. His expression seemed pained as he hunched over, as if he was in physical pain from the question.

"If I suddenly disappear one day, don't come find me."

————

Late nights were nothing if not a daily occurrence for Professor Augustine Sycamore. The study of Mega Evolution required constant research, despite his fiancé's constant reminders that he should be asleep by now. Lysandre had been nowhere to be seen so the Professor was free to work as late as his body would allow him, a long empty mug beside him at his desk. It was a constant battle between him and sleep, even more so now that he had been notified by Korrina that Serena had received the Mega Ring.

She had been his star pupil since first arriving at Kalos, and now here she was with the capability to Mega Evolve. How marvelous, he had thought. She would be the leader in scientific discovery, but a disturbing thought had been plaguing his mind. Korrina had mentioned Serena was accompanied by a strange boy, one with a "suspicious aura." Professor Sycamore had no idea what to make of that, but he knew that Korrina was very perceptive at sensing people's intentions. Whoever this person is most likely has ill intentions, which worried him more if he was traveling with Serena alone.

However, his mind was brought back to the present when a strange email popped up in his inbox. It was certainly too late at night for any of his colleagues to be contacting him, but it seemed important and his laptop hadn't detected anything malicious, so he opened the email.

All that it contained was a link to a file, which he opened hesitantly. The document inside was titled Project XYZ, and the more Professor Sycamore read it the more anxious he got.

It was a well-thought out plan on how to capture the Kalos Legendary Pokémon Trio and how to harness their power to reactivate the Ultimate Weapon. There were research notes written by hand as well, the fancy script far too familiar for him to ignore. After scanning through, he finally reached a note at the bottom, the handwriting different from the typed font and the cursive of the notes.

"I'm sorry you had to find out like this."

"Are you almost done, madam? We must shut the café for the night and you are the last one left."

51 looked up from her laptop, glancing down at her laptop as the small confirmation read Email Sent blinked green upwards at her. She was playing with fire by pulling this stunt, who knows what would happen if she got caught? She shut the laptop and placed it back in its carrier, thanking the waitress at the café and leaving a hefty tip behind for all the staff before exiting.

She was out of her mind with this plan, but she didn't care anymore. If there was a sure fire way to stop Team Flare, she was not about to let that opportunity pass her by. No matter the cost.