Jacqueline had been afraid before, but there was a fine line between being scared and being petrified. Her legs wouldn't move even though her brain was telling them to. The aura that this woman was emitting was suppressing. Having been in her presence once before, Jacqueline had experienced firsthand some of what Mathilde was capable of when provoked. However, this was nothing like what she'd seen at the Parfum Palace. It was clear from the expression on her face that she was out for blood and was on the verge of snapping should Jacqueline make even the slightest mistake. Her body trembled as Mathilde came to a stop in front of her with one hand on the hilt of her sword as a visual warning.

I-I can't do this... Jacqueline thought, clenching her shaking fists as she looked back at her friends that were still unconscious. I'm sorry guys, but if I don't tell her what she needs to know then we might—no—we won't make it out of here alive and I kinda wanna live to fight another day...

Turning around, she willed herself to look Mathilde in the eyes before disclosing the information that she demanded. Mathilde listened carefully as Jacqueline revealed the location of Lysandre and the rest of the Team Flare members. Each word of betrayal she spoke felt more humiliating than the last. As a member of Team Flare, she'd taken an oath of loyalty to the organization which meant that betrayal would lead to dire consequences if she were to be found out. Her grandparents immediately sprung to mind, causing her to mentally panic at the thought of something happening to them. Mathilde remained silent as Jacqueline informed her of the exact location along with how to get into the base of operations.

"Thank you, you've been most helpful," Mathilde said finally as she turned to walk away from Jacqueline. "A deal's a deal. You may leave..."

Jacqueline exhaled a relieved sigh. Mercy had been granted and she'd be a fool to not accept it. There was just one problem... how was she going to get her friends out of the hideout? Almost as if she'd read her mind, Mathilde looked over at Diantha and nodded to her Gardevoir.

"Mind giving these three a hand?" Mathilde requested.

"I'd be happy to," Diantha replied. "Gardevoir, please teleport the four of us out of here," she commanded, her gaze shifting to Mathilde who gave her an approving nod.

Gardevoir quickly created a psychic link between her trainer and the three individuals she'd requested and proceeded to warp them out, leaving Mathilde behind. Having finished the task she'd set out to do, Mathilde had one final thing that she needed to take care of. Taking a deep breath, she allowed her aura to freely flow through her body.

If I'm being honest, I was hoping that there wouldn't be anyone here so I could just lay waste to all of this. But I can't do that now as the body count would be too high for anyone to ignore. C'est la vie... plan b it is...

Having gathered an adequate amount of energy, she lifted her right foot and stomped it onto the floor causing it to heave as a pulse of electrical energy exploded outward from Mathilde's position. The discharge created an excess flow of electricity so intense that everything targeted began malfunctioning. Screens shattered and systems short circuited all throughout the base until the power eventually shut down completely.

"That ought to do it," Mathilde sighed as the lights went out. "Now to get back and check on the others," she muttered before warping herself out of the base.

Xerosic gritted his teeth as he saw the camera that he could no longer monitor any activity from their Lumiose headquarters. The entire screen was now a static mess. He was getting no signal, not even from any of the backup cameras that were installed throughout the base. Of all the scenarios he'd imagined taking place, never would he have guessed that the Champion herself would get involved along with that monster of a woman. His eyes shifted over to Lysandre who appeared to be unaffected by the sudden development.

"I must admit I'm impressed that he managed to figure out that it was a trap. Given his track record of going in alone, I thought he'd take the bait himself. This is far more entertaining than what I had in mind," Lysandre said grinning.

"Given what you just said, it seems to me as though you were hoping that he'd do something like this. But if those two were at our Lumiose headquarters, then that must mean—"

"That they know where we are now... considering the method of persuasion that was just used it's no surprise that our cohorts broke. As humans, we do whatever it takes to preserve our own lives even if it means selling out someone else for it. It's just another reason to destroy it all and rebuild from scratch," Lysandre replied.

"I suppose I should gather my team together and prepare a little welcome party for our soon-to-be guests. I assume you'll be having Charles deal with Seth?" Xerosic asked.

"That is precisely the plan. Charles will be able to handle this task without much difficulty seeing as he's finished his outside duties in regards to earning his badges. Out of all the members of Team Flare, his team is by far the strongest among them. I don't think he's lost a single match he's been in since he was first recruited. Pair that with his exceptional swordsmanship... well... I don't think I need to explain the rest. Simply put, as powerful as Seth may be, he won't stand a chance..."

"What if the other two get involved?" Xerosic inquired.

"Then I'll take them on myself," Lysandre stated smirking. "I've always wondered what it would be like to fight against the Champion and the leader of the Steel Hand."

Seth looked out over the palace garden from Allie's room balcony, lost in thought as he saw the mess that had been left behind. Palace workers were repairing what they could after the confrontation with Team Flare. He winced as he saw a few toppled statues that were no doubt caused by the technique that he used to get out of the garden with Allie. Images from the vision that Olympia sent him once again flashed through his mind, filling him with more bitterness than he already felt. The fire that had consumed Allie was symbolic of her capture at the hands of Team Flare. She was taken from him just as the vision showed and there wasn't anything he could do at the time to stop it.

He placed his hand on the railing and looked down at the spot where he'd first laid eyes on Allie—up close and personal—after catching her. That moment was still burned in his memory. The more he thought about it, the more he began to realize something that he should have caught wind of from the start. The moment their eyes met he felt that same attraction that everyone else did when they saw her, only now that attraction had completely transformed into something far deeper than that.

"It's a mess out there isn't it?" Adélaïde said, snapping Seth out of his thoughts.

Seth turned around to meet the eyes of the queen, his heart wrenching at the sight of her fallen countenance. The once lively visage of the woman he considered a friend had been replaced by anger and immense sadness. Though she smiled upon seeing him, her eyes gave away what she truly felt. Striding farther into the room, the queen stood beside Seth and looked out over the balcony with him, her eyes fixed on the garden below.

"She loves this spot you know. It's her favorite place to sit and observe the garden from, but that's not the only reason," Adélaïde said with a smile as she gestured to the wildlife around the garden. "Ever since she was a child she would sit up here and watch them all play. It was here that she made many fond memories from meeting Furfrou to encountering the Eternal Flower..."

Seth's eyes widened at the mention of the strange Floette. "You knew about that?"

Adélaïde nodded grimly.

"I did... and so did my husband. At first I wasn't sure if what I was seeing was real because I heard that the Floette that befriended first king of Kalos had left him three millenia ago and hasn't been seen since. But after some careful study I came to the conclusion that the Floette that Allie had met as a child was indeed that same Floette from three thousand years ago. For some reason it was drawn to Allie and for the longest time I could never figure out why..." Adélaïde sighed.

"Your highness... you of all people should know why that Floette was drawn to your daughter. It's the same reason why other Pokémon flock to this garden. Pokémon, in my opinion, are a better judge of character than humans will ever be. They can sniff out someone who's being genuine or fake and given the type of Pokémon that are in this garden... I doubt any of them would be around Allie if she wasn't someone they felt safe with. She cares for them and they can sense that. Your daughter has a good heart..."

Adélaïde swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled. Blinking back her tears she took a deep breath and fixed Seth with a stern look.

"You know, when this whole thing first began I was worried that my daughter would remain stuck in her ways. She was always stubborn, much like myself, and wanted what she wanted when she wanted it and wouldn't be told otherwise. In a way, she's very much the same with the exception of her wants being different now."

"Do you mean to tell me that there hasn't been much of a change?" Seth asked with a raised brow.

"Oh there's been a change alright," Adélaïde chuckled as she stepped away from the balcony and moved over to Allie's desk where all of her makeup and accessories were.

She reached down to one of the drawers to open it and pulled out a photo album that Allie had been constructing. Opening it, she smiled upon seeing a certain photo that was placed at the very front of the album.

"My, my... doesn't this look familiar?" the queen said as she turned to Seth with a grin.

Seth walked back into the room to see what Adélaïde was referring to, only to stop the moment he saw Melody's handiwork staring back at him. It was the picture she'd taken of when Allie and Seth first made contact.

"You see, Allie likes to keep memories that she deems important or impactful in albums like these. She has many more like this in her closet on the shelves above her clothes, however she keeps the ones she considers special in her desk. Isn't it strange that the day she first resented has now become a treasure?"

Seth remained still as he focused on the picture. No matter how many times he saw it, he always saw the same thing only this time there was something new. He wasn't looking at Allie this time. Instead, he zeroed in on himself and the way he was looking at her. His eyes were slightly widened in surprise but not because of what he'd originally thought. It was the same look he'd given Allie when he glanced back at her in the Fossil Lab, and when he'd seen her on the beach. Moreover, it was the same look he gave her when they journeyed together and finally had their dinner and first dance together. For a brief moment during that dance, something inside of him sparked to life.

With every movement they executed the feeling grew stronger and its pulse louder. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt anything like what he felt that night. But now that he was standing there looking at himself in a photograph, he could see clearly what he refused to see before. He too, like the many companions of her garden, was drawn to her, but for a different reason. The answer that hit him made him feel as though he was on the receiving end of his teacher's blade causing his eyes to widen.

"Seth? are you alright?" Adélaïde asked concerned.

"I'm not entirely sure how to explain this..." Seth said hesitantly, wrestling with the words in his mind as he met her eyes. "But I think I'm in love with Allie..."