Venom's Veil

[Sem]

Righty, next fic is finally here, one which I've been personally very excited about for over a year now. This continues directly from the events of Northern Star. I will attempt to finish this fic before the end of November for NaNoWriMo. It obviously won't be novel length, but I think it's a fair trade since I won't be neglecting details. I'm not making any promises that it will finish by November's end, so we'll see =) As always, critique me. I like getting better ♥


-Chapter 1-

Tara blinked, moaning at her alarm clock that beeped madly at her. She rolled over and switched the device off, groaning as she rubbed her eyes and sat up. Looking aimlessly around the room until her vision focused she wondered why she didn’t feel more rested.

“Right,” she grunted, rolling her head from side to side. “No time to waste, Tara…” She got up and quickly went into the shower, wondering why she smelled perfume on herself. Tara showered quickly, and rushed back into her room, trying to shake off the tiredness that hung on her like a fog. Her feet ached. Once dressed she got her bag and began stuffing things into it, things that she would need for on the road traveling. She felt a slight rush as her bag got slightly fuller as the minutes went by, happy that she would be out in the world again. Only this time, Luke was coming.

They had to leave Lilycove before some strange mobsters kidnapped her away because of Lysis.

”I belong on the road anyway,” Tara told herself. ”Not cut out for this fancy living.”

She turned around; looking at her room for what she hoped would be the last time, despite how it had grown on her. She quickly descended the stairs, tossing her bag towards the hallway that led to the front door as she went into the kitchen.

“Boy, do I need a cup of coffee,” Tara said dryly. “Good morning you two,” she said to Val and Luke, who were already in the kitchen. Luke, was eating breakfast and already seemed to be packed himself.

“Morning, dear,” he said warmly, eyeing her with his green eyes. He looked great, as usual, with his tan skin and sun-kissed light brown hair. Lucius waited as Tara poured herself a cup of coffee, which she drank black.

Tara closed her eyes and took a sip, inhaling the aroma. She looked at Valaura, who was standing near the glass wall. The Gardevoir didn’t look at Tara, in fact her eyes seemed unfocused and distant, meaning she was probably ready to get moving as soon as possible.

“Did you find whatever it was you were looking for last night?” Lucius asked.

“…What?” Tara asked, lowering her mug.

“You got up like two hours after you went to bed,” he explained after taking another bite of cereal. “I asked you what’s up and you said you were fine and just looking for something in that other bedroom, the red one.”

“I did?” she said with a dead stare, dread in her voice.

“Yeah, said something like, ‘I’m fine, dear. Just looking for something,’” he answered. “…Were you sleep walking?” he asked with a chuckle. “Something seemed off about you. You were walking different, and even the way… you talked…” his voice trailed as he looked at Tara’s face and the glower in Valaura’s eyes. “Oh gods… that wasn’t you was it?” he said, a sudden chill running down his spine.

Tara silently shook her head. “That explains why I feel tired and why my feet hurt…”

“But…” Luke went on. “I saw you, her, go back to your room and close the door.”

”She teleported,” Valaura cut in. ”I was not aware of her presence until it was too late.”

“She probably only went back into my room so you wouldn’t get suspicious,” Tara told him. She hastily took another sip of coffee before turning around to prepare some kind of food quickly. “Do you think Lysis wants the men to get a hold of me?” she asked Val.

The psychic didn’t respond for a moment, looking to be deeply considering that idea. ”I think that… Lysis would not want that to happen,” she said. ”But now… I have a feeling that she is the key to getting you out of this situation.”

“We should still try leaving,” Luke said as he got up and began washing his bowl.

“Yeah,” Tara agreed. The young woman took a seat at the table, absentmindedly shoveling cereal into her mouth. It seemed like awfully eerie timing that people came looking for Lysis just when she’s able to take control again. Tara didn’t even know how Lysis had managed it. As far as everyone knew, everyone being Tara, Valaura, and Miss Fox herself, she was trapped inside a cage.

”Let us go,” Val said, moving away from the wall towards the front door.

They grabbed their things and left the house, locking the door behind them before making their way out of Vista Del Mar towards the docks. Tara wasn’t sure if she would miss the city. She was happy to be travelling again, and while she liked the city she doubted she would shed a tear watching it fade away on the horizon. No, it would be good for her to move on now. There were gyms in both Mossdeep and Sotopolis that needed challenging, once she got those badges she could participate in the Hoenn League.

It took them about twenty minutes of walking to reach the port. It was a clear day, perfect for ships and boats, and the place was crowded as a result.

“Just need to find us a boat that goes to Mossdeep,” Tara said, looking around for a sign. They were lucky enough to find one leaving within the next half hour, so they quickly bought tickets and boarded the large ferry. Tara got more anxious as the minutes ticked by. She retreated into herself, trying to filter out the sounds of people focusing on the sound of the water sloshing up against the side of the boat and hearing the hum of the motor.

After what seemed like an eternity the boat began to move, slowly drifting away from the dock before picking up speed.

“Phew, finally,” Luke said as he leaned against the railing.

“Yeah…” Tara nodded. “Mossdeep here we come.”

“So, I was thinking since you were coming to watch me at the Grande Festival that you’d save me a seat at the League,” Luke said as he scooted closer to Tara.

“Let you into the League?” Tara asked. “Please, they only let real men in.”

“Ouch,” Luke said with mock-hurt in his voice that quickly turned to real pain as Tara jabbed him in the ribs.

“Yes, of course you can watch me,” she said with a sly grin. She turned around, gazing at the few people that had come on the boat with them. Men and women, seeming to be dressed in a variety of ways, but all of them seemed to have the same look on their face.

Tara began to notice that at least one of them was always looking in their direction. Tara’s heart began to race, knowing that something was wrong with the picture she was in.

”Val…” Tara started.

”I notice it as well,” Valaura said as she walked nearer. ”We are leaving, come,”

“Heya!” one of the other passengers called as Valaura stood defensively before Tara. “Not leaving are you?” he asked, tossing a Pokéball onto the deck. The ball cracked open and released a large black bird with white chest feathers and crest feathers that looked like a hat. Other passengers followed suit, releasing either more Honchkrow or a black creature with yellow rings around its body. There were also two abstract creatures that were released – floating blotches of purple of green, anchored to a stone. The Spiritomb let loose maniacal, otherworldly laughs.

At once Valaura and Tara felt a strong psychic pressure pressing down on them. The Honchkrow, Umbreon, and Spiritomb, were using Psychic, being some of the only Dark-types who could. Because of their type affinity, neither the Gardevoir nor the human could fight back with their own psychic abilities.

“What’s going on?” Lucius asked, ready to release some of his own Pokémon before the psychic presence fell on him as well, crippling him and causing him to fall onto the deck.

“Luke!” Tara yelled, holding her hands to her head.

“The priority is the girl!” one of the passengers shouted as the men and women began closing in with their Pokémon.

Tara groaned, feeling the psychic pressure press harder. Already she had a massive headache and it was too much effort to even try to defend against the attack. A flash of red light diverted her attention for only a moment as Valaura used a Thunderbolt on one of the Honchkrow. This only opened her up to a strong wave of the attack however, forcing her to again focus on the defense of her own mind.

”Tara!” she said with a strained voice. ”You must bring Lysis, bring her out! She will know how to handle this!”

“What?” Tara exclaimed, looking mad for a moment. “No, I can’t-“ a more powerful psychic wave hit, causing Tara to falter and lose balance. She looked around, seeing an incapacitated Luke, and Valaura falling to her knees. Her heart raced and her breathing was erratic. She swallowed and closed her eyes, diving far into herself where a small part of her mind overlapped with the young woman known as Lysis Fox.

-------

Tara looked at the field of flowers around her with the mountains in the distance. The plane hadn’t changed a bit since she had last seen it, still colorful and luscious. Her vision blurred for a moment, reminding her of the urgency of her situation. She began to run down the road the lead to a large tree, the only tree that could be seen for miles. Around the tree was a cage, with blue energy around the bars.

She picked up her pace, a key suddenly appearing in her hand as she approached the prison. She jammed the key into the lock and turned it, causing the blue psychic energy to fade. The door swung open with a metallic creak.

“Lysis!” Tara yelled the female’s name, fighting the bile that seemed to want to rise up in her throat in response to the name. She fell to her knees, feeling completely disoriented. “You need to help us,” she said weakly. “Valaura said so…” her voice faded away and she fell over into the dirt.

Inside the cage, reclining on a stone bench at the base of the tree was Lysis Fox. In appearance she was much like Tara. In Tara’s head Lysis appeared as she would have had she still had her own body. She was tall, with the same pale skin and dark long hair. Even the blue eyes, though hers were darker. But there was an unmistakable look of confidence and arrogance on her face that so separated her from Tara - a sense of self-satisfaction and self-love that bordered dangerously on narcissism.

Quietly, Lysis sat up, tossing aside the red flower she held in her hand. She rose up and strutted towards the open door. Even her gait would turn heads, taking each step with purpose. Miss Fox stood over Tara, looking at the girl with a sense of pity. “Oh, Tara,” she said. “What have you been dragged into now, darling?” The young woman kneeled down and scooped the girl into her arms. She turned on her heel and went back into the cage with Tara, laying her on the stone bench. “It’s only for a little while,” she told the girl. “I promise I’ll get this sorted as soon as possible.”

She turned again and strode out of the cage, closing the gate and turning the lock. The blue energy returned, only it was darker this time. The key vanished somewhere into Lysis’ clothing as she walked away, towards a shining gate that would lead her to full consciousness.

-------

Lysis immediately felt a powerful pressure on her mind. She looked around, seeing Valaura motionless on the ground. The boy lay near her, twitching slightly. Lysis herself was leaning against the rail of the boat, using it as support. She gazed only slightly at the deep blue water beneath her before struggling to right herself.

“Show yourself!” she yelled, holding a hand to her head and keeping the other hand on the rail.

At once the psychic presence faded as a man approached from inside the ferry’s cabin. He stepped out into the beating sunlight, looking very much like a businessman, or a retired one at least. He was aging, with grey hair and wrinkles. He was of an average height with an average body structure. On his shoulder was a Honchkrow as well, though it was admittedly smaller than the others. Despite this, Lysis could sense that it was the most powerful Pokémon present.

“Tara?” she heard a weak voice say. She turned her head down to the boy, Lucius. He looked at her with glazed eyes as he lay on his side.

“Afraid not, love,” Lysis answered. “But she’s safe.” She looked like Tara, she was in Tara’s clothes, but a closer look revealed that she was a completely different person, and Lucius realized this before fully losing consciousness.

“Lysis,” the old man with the Honchkrow said, holding his arms out as if inviting the woman to embrace him. “It’s been a long time…”

A mixture of emotions flew across her face as she looked upon the man. She knew that despite his looks he was far from average, and she was forced to wonder why he was showing himself to her right then. “What do you want?” she asked.

The man shook his head and waved his hand, causing the Dark-types to halt their attack. “Now, Lysis,” he said, putting a hand in his pocket. “You really have to ask? I haven’t seen you in years… I thought you were dead.” He looked upon her warmly as he spoke.

“Not quite that easy to get rid of me,” Lysis replied, quickly making a note of the many guards present. He had gone through quite a bit of trouble to ensure that he caught her, though she had lowered her guard by now. It was no longer a hostile situation she was in, but she still showed certain reluctance.

“You know I’ve missed you,” he continued. “Please, let me hold my granddaughter,” he said, almost pleaded as he opened his arms.

At once Miss Fox looked guilty, looking him in the eye, the right side of her mouth pulled back. She took cautious steps towards him. “I missed you too, Grandaddy,” she said as she slowly approached him, embracing him once she was close enough. She was surprised that his bodyguards hadn’t done anything. Lysis felt his arms wrap around her and she rested her chin on his shoulder. Her mind was buzzing, thinking. She hadn’t seen her family in years, it was strange suddenly being in the presence of her grandfather. But, it did feel nice being with a person who knew her. “Sorry for being on guard. It’s good to see you.”

“It’s fine – only natural that you would feel that way at first,” her grandfather replied, nodding in understanding. “Come,” he said, letting go over her but keeping his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll take you back home. We can catch up and l’ve even prepared a room for you to move in. There’s no reason for you to live on your own.”

Lysis thought for a moment before she guiltily shook her head. “I’m sorry, I can’t,” she said with a frown. “I took this body without permission, and the girl this body belongs to has plans of her own.” She took a step away from him, hoping to properly communicate the situation she was in.

“The girl? Tara Valens? Don’t be ridiculous. You have the perfect opportunity right now to obtain permanent control,” he explained. “You’re my granddaughter – that makes you more important than any other girl.”

Lysis was silent for a moment, debating with herself. In the end she knew there would be no arguing with the man. If he wanted to see her that badly he would order his men to take her by force. “I dunno – I think I would feel too guilty…”

Her grandfather didn’t reply immediately either, seeming pick his next words with care. “How about I just take you back for a little while. A week at least. Let’s spend some time together,” he added with a smile. “Once I learned that you were alive I had to find you, you must understand what I’m feeling right now seeing you alive.”

“But this isn’t me, this body,” Lysis said, motioning to herself.

“Yes, I know… I know all about what’s happened. But, I must say. This Tara Valens is strikingly similar to you. It also helps that she looks more mature than she is. You couldn’t have picked a better body in my opinion – and why not take control of the body you picked? Come, please consider my offer carefully, my dear...”

Miss Fox said nothing for a short while. Thoughts buzzed around in her head. She honestly had no desire to live with her grandfather, but she was glad to see him. “I… guess she wouldn’t mind if I spend a week with family…” Lysis said hesitantly. She looked extremely out of character. Lysis Fox was always sure of herself, and she always knew exactly what to say. “All right, take me home,” she agreed.

“Good,” he replied warmly, taking her hand in his. Lysis covered his hand with her other before walking back and looking over the rail. “Kill the Gardevoir,” she heard her grandfather say.

Miss Fox jerked her head in his direction. “No!” she said. “Just bring her with us.”

“Lysis… She’s too dangerous to bring back,” he explained with a frown.

“Then don’t,” she responded. “Make sure she and the boy get to Mossdeep.”

“She will come looking for you,” he said.

“No… I don’t think she will,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m only going to be gone for a week. As if you’d let her find us anyway.”

Her grandfather frowned and stared at her for a long moment, seeming to deeply consider whether or not to listen to her.

“Fine,” he said. “Whatever it takes to make my granddaughter happy,” he smiled warmly as the sound of a helicopter could be heard far off.

Lysis grinned. “Thank you.”

They waited for a few moments as the helicopter approached. It was a model that immediately became familiar to Lysis as it got closer. It was a popular model that was used in Team Rocket. Lysis had ridden in one many times before.

The chopper hovered over the ferry before landing on the open space on deck. The draft created by the blades was powerful, blowing away everything that was light enough. Before getting inside of the copter Lysis dug through the clothes she wore. She took out the Pokéballs that contained Tara’s Pokémon and put them in Luke’s bag. Lysis also left Tara’s bag with the boy. “You take care of these, boy, you hear me?”

Of course, he couldn’t hear her.

With a sigh Lysis walked towards the waiting helicopter and stepped inside. As she buckled herself in the vehicle lifted off of the ship and turned, heading back towards Lilycove.

-------

Edwin Fox, Lysis’ grandfather, didn’t actually live in the city. His home, which was a massive mansion, lay in the middle of the forest, with only a single road leading to it from Route 121. It was built in the neoclassical style, with walls constructed of clean white stone with a gray-tiled roof.

Lysis had only been to the mansion once before, when she was much younger. From what she remembered there were dozens of rooms and plenty of facilities to keep one busy throughout the day.

“Remember last time you visited and you said you wished you could live here?” her grandfather said with a chuckle. The Honchkrow on his shoulder ruffled its feathers slightly and settled more comfortably onto the shoulder.

Lysis smiled as she looked down upon the structure. “Yes, I do remember.” She was eight when she had come to visit her grandfather with her parents. That was the last time she was there, but it wasn’t the last time she had seen her grandfather. Edwin Fox had made sure to go visit his son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter at least once a year for Christmas.

“Hopefully you’ll feel that way again, only this time you’ll get to stay,” he offered with a hopeful tone.

Miss Fox bit her lip. Living in such a place was tempting, she had to admit. “We’ll see,” she said.

The helicopter landed on the ground’s helipad, located out just in front of the building. There were a couple of servants waiting for them on the pad. Lysis could also remember the vast number of servants that her grandfather employed. They were all fairly robotic, which had disturbed her the last time she had visited.

As soon as the copter had touched down one of the servants rushed up to the door and opened it. “Welcome home, Miss Fox,” he said as he extended his hand.

“Thank you, dear,” she muttered as she took his hand and stepped out onto the concrete. Brushing the hair out of her face she inhaled at the site of the mansion looming ahead.

“Welcome home, Miss Fox,” the second servant echoed, then both of them said, “Welcome home, Mr. Fox.”

“Thank you,” he said as he began walking down the bricked path that led to the house. “I trust that a room for my granddaughter has been prepared?”

“Yes, sir,” they both said, following closely behind Edwin and Lysis.

“Your room has a glorious view of the forest, my dear,” Edwin explained. “I’ve sent men to your quaint little home in Vista Del Mar to collect your things – they should be there already in your room.”

“All of my things?” Lysis asked with a raised brow. “You’re fairly confident that I will choose to stay, aren’t you?”

Edwin only grinned a white grin. “It’s not very much trouble. Why not have all the things you’re used to available to you for your week’s stay?”

“Yes, I’m quite certain I will need all of my winter outfits,” she said wryly.

He only chuckled in response. The lawn was vast and spacious, and the grass was a picture perfect shade of green, perfectly manicured. The front of the house was quite breath-taking. With a large, fanned-out flight of steps leading up the large double doors that led inside. Columns lined the walls and had various typed of flowers at their base. The main driveway was lined with tall palms, which stood out quite plainly in the middle of the forest. Off to the left was what Lysis assumed was a garage. It was large, and she knew that at least one level was underground. The chopper had flown overhead and landed on top of the garage.

Edwin, Lysis, and the two servants ascended the staircase, which had beautifully carved concrete balustrades. The large cherry wood doors opened for them, allowing them to enter. A line of about six servants, three men and three women, awaiting them and another pair of servants closed the doors behind them.

All of the servants bowed. “Welcome home,” they all said in unison.

Lysis had to admit, the servants still freaked her out. She smiled anyway and nodded. “Thank you.”

“Would one of you kindly lead my granddaughter to her room? Someone else please bring her a glass of water,” Edwin instructed.

“Yes, sir,” two of them said and bowed before rushing to their tasks. It was strange, the way the servants operated, as if knowing who would perform which task without needing to discuss it amongst themselves.

“Do you want anything else, my dear?” Mr. Fox asked his granddaughter.

“No, I think that will do,” she smiled. “I’m going to go freshen up and change into something more suitable. Where would I find you when I’m done?”

Edwin massaged her palm with his thumb and smiled kindly. “Meet me in the sun room – we’ll have lunch there. I hope you remember your way around.”

“No need to worry,” Lysis explained. “I’ll meet you there, granddaddy.”

With that she followed the servant to her room. The inside of the mansion was just as impressive as the outside, with pearl white marble floors and columns. A soft crème colored rug led directly from the front doors up the Y-shaped staircase, whose arms curved off to the sides. Above them was a large chandelier and several skylights, which along with the large windows provided much natural light large and open space, with the ceilings vaulted as high as they could go.

The servant led Lysis up the staircase, which had polished oak railings. They took the left arm of the staircase, allowing Lysis to see the many portraits that hung on the white walls of the second level. Most of them seemed to be expensive pieces of art from all over the world.

They reached the left side of the bridge that connected the gap left by the Y-shaped stairs. They went left into the hallway, the only sound being their footsteps echoing off of the marble in places where there was no rug. The hall was windowless save for the occasional skylight and the large window at the end, which provided enough light along with the lamps that hung on the walls.

At the very end of the hall on the right side they went through the last door. “Here is your room, Miss Fox,” he said, gesturing for her to enter. “You will find your clothes in the closet and your water will be here momentarily. Do you need anything else?”

Lysis eyed her room, taking in the large bed with tall bedposts that held up a sheer white veil. The duvet was royal red with pearly-gold pillows. A couch rested against the far wall, along with a large vanity. A television disguised as a picture hung on the wall, and a chair and lamp sat in the corner. It was all a bit too old fashioned for her tastes, but it would do just fine.

“No, thank you,” she told the servant.

“Do not hesitate to ask for anything,” he replied before bowing and walking away, leaving the young woman alone in her room.

“What now, hm?” she asked herself as she closed the door. It was strange, suddenly being back in the house after more than a decade. Her grandfather was adamant that she stay, she knew that very well. He was the only member of her family that still remembered her. The Rockets had wiped the memories of her parents immediately after her death, so according to them they didn’t have a daughter. To be honest she rarely thought about her parents. The thought of reintroducing herself to them would be a very large hassle, a hassle that she didn’t want to deal with. It was easier for everyone if she remained dead.

However, now her grandfather was the problem. The reason he still remembered was because he was partially responsible for her recruitment into the Rocket’s psychic program. He wasn’t a member, but he was an associate and supporter of most of the organizations ventures. Team Rocket loved him because he stuffed their pockets with funds, funds for research and other projects. It had all started with Edwin Fox, and he was adamant that she come live with him.

“We’ll see how this goes, granddaddy,” Lysis muttered to herself as she prepared herself for a bath.

 

[Stark]

Fantastic as always, sir

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread, I always love your writing ^^

 

[Sem]

I will attempt to finish this fic before the end of November for NaNoWriMo.

Ahahahahahahhahah. Anyway. Chapter two's here =D Enjoy and critique is always welcome.


-Chapter 2-

A thin veil of mist followed Lysis as she walked out of the bathroom, towel around her waist. Using another towel to dry her hair, she sat on the bed and quickly thought of what to wear. She knew that anything less than a dress was out of the question for her grandfather, and she was surprised that he even let her into the house wearing Tara’s clothes. Edwin Fox had been born rich, as the Foxes had been a rich family for centuries. He was the son of the now deceased Leroy Fox, and like all good sons, Edwin increased his father’s fortune – the rich did indeed become richer.

She walked over to a set of double doors and opened them, finding herself staring into a large room that was mostly empty, but it held all of her clothes. As her grandfather had promised, her wardrobe had been transported from her house in Vista Del Mar. Her closet in Lilycove was spacious, but nowhere near as large as this one – which was the size of a living space in a normal house. Her collection of clothes looked quite dismal, though she had many more clothes in other parts of the world, such as her wardrobe in the Saffron penthouse.

With her clothes set out before her she knew exactly what to grab, and she reached for a black cocktail dress. It had been an expensive purchase, especially since she had had it made especially for Tara’s body. The bodice was silk and was a bit low-cut – held on by only two thin straps. The dress itself was made of several tiers of sheer fabric - being completely black around her pelvis and slowly becoming more sheer as you looked down the leg.

She slipped on a pair of strappy black heels and some silver jewelry and did her hair up in a bun. With a quick look in the mirror she approved her look and left the room. Her grandfather was waiting to have lunch with her in the sun room, which she had no idea where to find. Lysis’ memories were vague in her mind, and it could have been that the sun room didn’t even exist last time she was there.

Finding herself in the foyer again she spotted a servant looking rather busy dusting the rails of the stairs. Instead of bothering her, Lysis decided to simply delve into the maid’s mind and find the location of the sun room herself. The young woman closed her eyes and immediately located the woman’s mind, diving in completely.

It wasn’t what she was expecting.

No, instead of one mind Lysis found herself submersed in dozens of minds, all of which became aware of her instantly.

"Infiltration of the Servant-Net detected! Locate the intruder!"

Lysis backed out immediately, leaving the strange hive of consciences. “Servant-Net?” she muttered aloud, a bit wide-eyed and noticing that the maid was now staring at her. “The servants are all psychically linked?” she realized. The many dozens of servants on the property all shared minds. It explained how all of them seemed to be in sync with each other.

“Forgive us, Miss Fox,” the maid said. She was standing now and bowed her head. “Your grandfather is telling me that he is waiting for you in the sun room – I shall take you there.”

Lysis raised her brow for a moment, also realizing that her grandfather was also linked to the Servant-Net in some way, meaning that he could keep tabs on everything that was happening in the house. ”Of course he could,” she thought as she replied “Of course,” to the maid, allowing her to take the lead.

Edwin Fox was a powerful telepath, Lysis knew this. He hadn’t tried going into her mind, yet, but Lysis was wary, especially now. She had no idea he was powerful enough to manage such a large group of people and link them together, while still going about his normal, everyday tasks without any trouble. Lysis couldn’t manage it herself, not yet, and she was instinctively wary of anyone who could overtake her so easily. He was family, yes, but he was also a Fox.

Soon enough the maid brought Lysis to a pair of wood and glass doors, and the light of midday shone through, lighting up the maroon carpet and the plants on either side of the doors. The servant opened the door, allowing Lysis to enter. She was immediately bathed in sunlight as she walked across the creamy marble towards the small table arranged in the center of the room. The walls and the ceiling were all made of glass, and outside of the glass grew many colorful varieties of plants - most of which were exotic.

Edwin Fox sat on one end of the small rectangular table. A bowl of fruit sat in the center along with wine glasses. Lysis bent down and kissed her grandfather on his cheek before going to sit opposite of him.

“Wine?” asked a male servant standing nearby, holding a bottle.

“Yes, please,” Lysis nodded, taking her empty glass and holding it out to him. He poured some of the blood-colored liquid into her crystal glass and then stepped back once more. Lysis smiled at her grandfather before taking a sip of the wine.

“That is fine dress you’re wearing,” he commented. “I was afraid that you would only have jeans.”

“You know me better than that, granddaddy,” Lysis replied with a smirk. “You simply caught me when I wasn’t me.”

“Yes, well, it is good to see you looking so much at home here already – despite you not knowing your way around,” he chuckled before taking a sip of his own wine.

“Yes, interesting… setup you have with your servants,” she remarked, darting her midnight blue eyes over to the silent servant who stood nearby.

“It’s more for protective measures really,” Mr. Fox said. “They make quite the army, you know,” he grinned.

“Oh?” she said. She should’ve known, she thought. Every single one of the servants was no doubt well trained in more than just service. Edwin Fox was an important man, and he had several enemies. “An army made up of dozens, all working perfectly in sync with each other… quite interesting,” she said, leaning back and crossing one leg over the other. It caused flashbacks of her various missions with her now-dead teammates to pop into her mind. They were quite the force to be reckoned with as well, and she found herself missing them. “I don’t expect you have many enemies knocking on your door very often then,” she added after a moment, swirling the dark liquid around in her glass.

“You’re quite right,” he said. “Last time it happened, why, they didn’t even reach the stairs,” he chuckled. Edwin Fox was a partner of Team Rocket and had his hand in many projects, many projects that weren’t necessarily legal. As such, his enemies tended to be the types of people who weren’t averse to attacking him outright in his own home.

“Sir, Miss, your lunch is ready,” chimed the servant right as two more walked into the room. Each one held a tray, upon which was a plate of seasoned fish, with a spring mix of steam and seasoned vegetables.

“This looks lovely,” Lysis commented as she unfolded her napkin and laid it on the lap of her crossed legs. The fish was tender and offered no resistance against her knife as she sliced through it, placing a piece in her mouth. She raised her brow. “Tastes lovely as well.”

“Yes,” Edwin nodded. “The chefs keep me very well fed.” After a moment of silent eating he spoke again. “Now tell me, what has my granddaughter been up to since her… resurrection,” he chuckled. “I understand you’ve amassed quite the fortune through stealing, which isn’t the most glamorous occupation for you if you’re asking my opinion,” he added, raising an eyebrow at Lysis.

“I did what I had to,” she shrugged, unfazed by her grandfather’s disapproval. “I’ve been heavily involved in the stock market as well, and have been fairly successful. The Devon Corporation’s doing quite well these days,” she winked. She wasn’t about to let him tell her what she should or shouldn’t do.

“Ah, well, that’s quite a bit more respectable,” he smiled.

“I had nothing when I awoke – I had little choice,” Lysis said. “I don’t steal very much anymore.” Actually, she hadn’t stolen since her first few months in Saffron.

“You could have come here,” Edwin said. “I would have taken you in a heartbeat. You’re my granddaughter for God’s sake.”

“I see what this is about,” she replied, looking at him with a hint of sympathy in her gaze. “Granddaddy… I wasn’t even aware that you knew I was… ‘alive.’ You said it yourself that you had no idea until recently,” she said, wondering exactly how long he had been searching for her. “That’s why I haven’t gone back to my parents. I would like to see them, but I’m not sure they could handle the idea of suddenly having a daughter that they somehow forgot existed.”

Edwin sat in silence for a few moments, looking composed, as any man of his standing should be, but he was thoughtful as well. “Yes, I suppose you’re right,” he sighed, pushing his plate away.

Lysis thought for a moment. Was he really that hurt that she didn’t go to him? He valued family, of course, but not too dearly. He visited at least once a year, but now that she thought about it, it had always been to see her. Edwin had no ill will towards her father, even though her father rejected his father’s, Edwin’s, fortune and decided to make his own way, against his wishes. Edwin disowned her father financially, but he was never hostile towards him, at least not openly. But no. She had always been the apple of his eye.

Edwin Fox was planning something. He’d been planning it for years. Lysis realized there was absolutely no chance she was leaving in a week. What did he want with her?

“Well, I’m here now,” she said. “That’s what counts.”

“Indeed it does,” he agreed.

-------

The rest of the day passed by quietly into the next, though Lysis spent most the time deep in thought. What could her grandfather gain from making her stay with him? One thing was obviously clear, though, and that was the fact that he was planning on using her. That didn’t sit very well her. Lysis Fox was not a person you could use and discard. The fact that he was family made it feel like a betrayal of the most egregious variety.

What was even worse is that he was hiding all of this with the idea that he absolutely loved his thought-to-be-dead granddaughter and was simply overjoyed to see her again.

“Ha!” Lysis laughed out loud. What a farce. She would figure out his motives and confront him with them, and then that’ll be the last he’ll see of her, she would make sure of it.

Tonight her grandfather was having a party, which meant that many of his rich acquaintances would be coming over for dinner. Just a social gathering was all, but he wanted to formally introduce Lysis to his circle of friends. The dinner was a welcome home party of sorts. It was all for her, he had said.

The guests would start arriving soon, and Lysis knew she would have a long evening ahead of her. She was already in the process of getting ready. She had already showered and her hair was dry. She was wearing another dress – an evening gown that hugged her torso and began floating away at the mid-thighs. It was black and strapless, and the bottom of the dress had a V-shape going up the front to just below the knee. The bottom of the dress and the V were embellished with red silk.

Her hair was worn down with a small bun as an addition, so as to cut short some of the length. Lysis was currently working on the hair, using an iron to make it wavy. Music was playing through her room’s sound system – a playlist of salsa and other similar dances. The young woman moved her feet to the music as she sat in a chair inside her bathroom. A pair of black stilettos were already on her feet, which had a circular brooch inlaid with diamonds on the toe of the shoe.

She ran the iron through one last lock of hair, eyeing herself carefully in the mirror and making sure she wasn’t missing anything. Her normally pale face was now glowing, thanks to a light touch of blush on her cheeks, eyeliner, and light red gloss on her lips.

With a tired sigh she turned off the iron and unplugged the device. She squeezed some moisturizer into her palm before walking out of the bathroom. She was rubbing the lotion into her hands and upper arms when she saw a figure out of the corner of her vision.

Lysis turned, eyeing the figure near her door. She hadn’t heard anyone come in, but the music was playing, so it probably muffled the sound. Lysis studied the figure – a woman in her sixties perhaps, in a slim white gown and dark hair pulled back.

“Grandmother?” Lysis asked with great surprise on her face. Indeed, it was her grandmother, but her skin was so pale, and her blue eyes seemed slightly clouded, less intense.

The woman nodded. “Lysis,” she said with a warm smile. “It’s wonderful to see you again.”

“It’s… wonderful to see you as well,” the younger woman answered while blinking, a bit off her guard. “What are you doing here?” Elaina Fox, her grandmother, no longer lived with her grandfather.

“I came to see you,” she answered moving closer. She moved like a wisp on the wind, gracefully, as if she was hardly touching the floor. “It’s been too long.”

“Yes, it has…” Lysis said, moving over to her bed and picking up a small remote. She aimed it at the stereo and silenced the music.

“She looks beautiful,” her grandmother said, nodding to Lysis. “What’s her name?”

“Tara,” Lysis answered. “Tara Valens.”

“Funny how alike you and her look…” Elaina commented, frowning slightly. “Are you ready for tonight?”

“Ready? “ Lysis repeated, raising a brow and smiling grimly. Who did her grandmother think she was talking to? “Of course. But I’m not happy about it.”

“Don’t let him bring you down,” her grandmother said. “You are a stronger person than he is – he’s very ambitious, but that will be his downfall in the end I think.”

“Hm,” Lysis muttered, using her finger to trace along the flowery print on her duvet. Her grandmother softly brushed the back of her hand against Lysis’ cheek, though it was so much of a whisper of a touch that Lysis barely registered it. “Does he know you’re here?” Lysis asked, looking up into her grandmother’s eyes.

Elaina stepped back and let out a soft and serene chuckle, almost musical. Elaina Fox had been a singer for a long while, and she would fill the house with her voice for many hours of the day. “No, he doesn’t know I’m here, and I don’t think he ever will.”

Lysis nodded. “Probably for the best.” She got up to her feet and walked over to a mirror on the wall, looking over herself with a meticulous eye.

“I regret not being there to see you grow up…” her grandmother half-sighed, looking remorseful. “You got my eye for detail I see…”

“Of course,” Lysis nodded. “That eye is a good thing to have, no matter what you’re doing in life. And there wasn’t too much you missed. I was sort of nonexistent for four years…”

“Were you happy? Before then I mean,” Elaina asked.

A smile flickered across Lysis’ face. “Yeah, it was pretty fun.” She knew she was working for a criminal organization, but she really didn’t care back then. Through Team Rocket she was able to unlock her potential. The most important thing back then was, and continues to be, Lysis Fox. She did care for other people, but when it came down to it, she came first.

Of course. She did let Tara have her body back. Was it out of guilt? Maybe. Lysis did genuinely care for the girl, she just had a hard time of showing it. Or perhaps there were some things in this life she cared for more than herself. She didn’t even want to come to her grandfather’s mansion originally. Yes, she was definitely less selfish than she realized.

“I’m glad that you enjoyed yourself – though I am sorry for what happened,” Elaina continued.

“Yes, me too,” Lysis nodded solemnly. “The people involved are dead though,” she said with a satisfied grin. “I avenged my team and myself. No one uses me like that and gets away with it.”

“Is violence really the answer?” Elaina questioned.

Lysis shot her grandmother a glance. “It solves more than people care to admit – but in this case it was just all that would satisfy me. Imprisonment – were it possible – would not have been enough. An apology? Ha! As if that could have atoned for their sins. And I couldn’t simply let them be, no. An eye for an eye, a life for a life – that’s how it should be,” she said with a darkly curved lip and dark gaze.

“Well, whether or not I agree with your methods does not change the fact that I am proud of you. You’re strong – you will need all your strength in this life – take it from your weak grandmother.”

“Thank you, grandmother,” Lysis said with a pitying smile.

“You should be on your way, the party will begin momentarily,” Elaina said. “I’ll see you again, though, I’m sure.”

“I hope so,” Lysis nodded. “It was lovely to see you.” She walked into her closet, grabbing a red rose to clip into her hair. When she came back out her grandmother had already left. Lysis stood silent for a moment, mulling over their conversation before finally stepping out of her bedroom, ready for the evening.

Her steps echoed down the hallway as she walked in her very recognizable gait that simply overflowed with self-confidence, power, and purpose. She descended the staircase and turned around, walking towards a doorway beneath the two staircases. A servant opened the door for her, allowing her to enter a very large ballroom. Enormous crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, bathing the room in a soft and creamy light. Tables were situated around a space in the center of the room, and a long table sat at the back. The two very large fireplaces on either side of the room were lit, setting just the right mood for the room. Servants bustled to and fro, making sure everything was perfect, down to the exact placement of the silverware on the tables.

Edwin Fox walked in soon after Lysis did. “Ah, Lysis, you look lovely,” he said, kissing her on the cheek in greeting.

“Thank you,” Lysis replied, sounding genuinely pleased to see him.

“The guests are already pulling up the driveway – we’ll greet them in the foyer.”


Lysis nodded and followed him back out of the room. Two servants opened the main doors as the first car drove up. A third servant opened the door, allowing the passengers to exit – an aging woman followed by her husband.

“That is Mr. and Mrs. Rothenberg,” Mr. Fox muttered to Lysis as they stood at the door, ready to greet the guests.

“Isn’t that Arthur Rothenberg? He’s quite high on Silph’s chain of command isn’t he?” Lysis wondered.

“That is correct,” Edwin muttered back through a smile directed at the couple.

The Rothenbergs ascended the steps and smiled back at the man. “Good evening, Edwin!” Arthur greeted quite loudly.

“Evening, Arthur,” Edwin nodded, shaking the man’s hand. “And good evening to you, Daphne,” he said, leaning down and kissing her hand. “Thank you both for coming. This,” he started, looking at Lysis, “is my granddaughter, Lysis.”

Lysis smiled even bigger and shook both of their hands. “Pleasure to meet you both.”

“My, what a lovely granddaughter you have, Edwin,” Arthur commented.

“Yes, very beautiful. The pleasure is all ours, my dear,” Daphne said with an exaggerated chuckle. The man was in a suit, but his wife was in a black dress that probably belonged on a younger woman. She wore a fur coat, though Lysis was unable to tell from whence it came. She guessed it came from a great many Furret.

”Tacky,” Lysis thought as her grandfather told them to make themselves comfortable in the ballroom. It wasn’t that she cared for the Furret, it was more that fur coats were entirely outdated looked horrid nowadays.

“Mr. and Mrs. Rothenberg are new money and have no class at all really,” her grandfather informed her after the couple was out of earshot.

As the Rothenberg car drove off towards the garage the next followed. An older woman stepped out of that one along with a young man who was perhaps in his early twenties. She was dressed more appropriately, in a knee-length skirt and suit jacket with a heavy trench worn over it. The young man was in a suit, of course.

“That is Miss Killinger and her grandson, Geoffrey,” Edwin told Lysis as the guests came up the steps. “They’re old money and have been friends of the Foxes for quite some time.”

Lysis nodded, though the name did not ring any bells.

“Edwin,” Miss Killinger said warmly, removing her leather gloves and kissing the man on either cheek.

“Myrna,” he said just as warmly. “It’s lovely to see you here. May I introduce you both to my granddaughter, Lysis?”

The young woman flashed a smile and shook Myrna’s hand. The older woman examined Lysis with a careful eye for just a moment before returning the smile. “Pleasure,” she said. “I have heard many things about Edwin Fox’s very elusive granddaughter, but I almost began to believe that she did not exist – it’s lovely to see that he was telling the truth.”

“Don’t I always speak the truth?” Edwin chuckled.

“You’d like for me to think that, wouldn’t you?” she replied with a wry grin, hitting him lightly on the arm with a glove. Without another word she too stepped inside. Geoffrey, her grandson, took Lysis’ hand and kissed her hand.

Lysis took a moment to reexamine him as he righted himself. He had a bit of an olive complexion and short, dark hair swept to the side in a popular style. He had warm brown eyes and quite the flashy smile.

“With all due respect to my mother and your grandfather, I was afraid that I would have only the company of old people this evening,” he said with a swagger of sorts, eyeing her and smiling.

Ha. Lysis knew what he was doing. It would have worked on a weaker woman, but not her. Still, she thought it was endearing how he tried. She gave him a cool smile and said nothing.

Edwin chuckled at the comment. “No, not all my friends have gray hair.”

“Do you talk?” he asked then, obviously wanting some sort of response.

“Not on demand. You’ll hear my voice when I want you to,” she quipped.

Geoffrey raised a brow and laughed softly. “I’ll see you inside,” he said before following in after his mother.

“Like him?” Edwin asked as the next car pulled up.

Lysis darted her gaze in her grandfather’s direction for a moment. “He seems nice.”

-------

In under an hour the house was full of dozens of guests. They all gathered in the ball room and mingled with each other, laughing over champagne and sampling the appetizers that floated by on silver platters.

Lysis stood at the back of the room with her grandfather, and the guests all took their turns coming by and making small talk. She caught glimpses of Geoffrey casually looking at her throughout the night. He hadn’t yet come by to attempt to communicate more with her. Perhaps he thought that by keeping his distance he was putting her on edge or making her anxious. Cute.

His mother, on the other hand, was quite interested in Lysis.

“So you lived with Joseph?” Myrna asked with minor distaste in her voice.

“Well, yes, he is my father,” Lysis replied. “I lived with my parents until I was fifteen.”

“What did you do after that?”

“Well, I left home and entered into Saffron University, studied art history.”

Myrna raised a brow. “Art history? Really? You know quite a lot about art then?”

“Yes,” Lysis half-lied. She had, of course, never even set foot inside Saffron University, but she did know a bit about art.

The older woman leaned in a bit closure. “And are you also gifted like your grandfather?”

By the tone of the woman’s voice Lysis knew that she meant psychic abilities. “Ah, you know about that?” she asked, seeming surprised as she took a sip of champagne. “I am, but I’m nowhere on his level, I can assure you of that.” Lysis leaned in as well. “That was also why I attended SU.”

There were a very, very small number of human psychics, but those who were typically went to a school of sorts to learn how to control their ability and how to live with it in everyday life. ‘Psychic Schools’ were not overly common, but one could be found in Saffron. It had been started by the infamous Sabrina, gym leader of the city.

Of course, Lysis had received her training in Team Rocket, and it was not school. It was not even like a boot camp of sorts. It was hell. But Lysis had long thought that all the pain had been well worth it.

“After SU I decided to travel for a short while and now I’m here with my grandfather.”

“Interesting, very interesting,” Myrna nodded, righting herself. She pried no further into the subject, and instead called over her son.

“Geoffrey’s also lived with me for most of his life, though he did attend a boarding school for a while in his younger years. Then we moved to the hills in Veilstone for a period of five or so years. Enough time for him to enroll in and graduate from Veilstone High School.”

Lysis popped an eyebrow at the mention of the school’s name. “Impressive.” VHS had quite the reputation across the Sinnoh region.

“What’s impressive?” Geoffrey asked, stopping next to his mother.

“Just that you’re still among the living,” Lysis replied simply, with a hint of disinterest in her voice.

“You seem disappointed,” he said with mock sadness.

“Don’t be silly. I’ve only just met you – I don’t want you dead yet,” Lysis assured him with a dark smile.

“Look at the two of you,” Myrna commented airily. “Perhaps I will be a grandmother after all.”

“That’s going a bit too fast, Mother. I’ve only just met Miss Fox – I don’t want to marry her yet,” he smiled playfully. He was catching on and trying to play her game.

“And why not?” Lysis asked. “I’m beautiful, single, and I have a personality that’s to die for.”

“Yes, and you’re modest too I see,” he countered. “Behold, the humble Miss Fox.”

“What did you expect? I’m a Fox. Humble is not a trait in my genes,” she said, taking another sip of her drink.

“Obviously,” he said dryly, but he was quite enjoying himself.

He was sharp, Lysis liked that about him. He was perfectly comfortable exchanging words with her, and he was quite attractive. Despite this, Lysis did not consider the idea of marriage. The idea itself repulsed her. The idea of being bound to anything, let alone a man, defied everything she stood for. She was perfectly content with the idea of never marrying.

However, unbeknownst to Lysis, her grandfather had plans for her, plans that went far beyond a week’s stay. They were life plans - plans that included education, and proper insertion into the social order, which would include many things that she would not like.

 

[Sem]

I don't write as often as I would like anymore </3


-Chapter 3-

It had been nearly a week since Lysis had arrived at her grandfather’s mansion, and she was bored out of her mind. She hadn’t left the grounds at all, though her grandfather did have plans for dinner later that day. It was really no better than an elaborate prison the mansion.

Lysis was still no closer to figuring out her grandfather’s plan. She was certain he had an agenda, but she was unaware as to what. If she tried to leave he would only find her again. She was sure the grounds were protected as well, remembering the many numbers of Umbreon and Honchkrow that had been used against her the first day.

No, the best way to deal with it was to face it head on. Lysis was never one to run from threats. She would confront her grandfather as soon as his plans were revealed. It was the best option for everyone involved - herself, Tara, Valaura, and even Tara’s little boyfriend. ”He was cute though,” she mused, a wry smile at her face. Tara was obviously finding the strength to move on. Of course, Lysis knew this. Lysis hadn’t been asleep inside of Tara. She had been perfectly aware, unlike the last time.

Tara, on the other hand, was still unconscious. Lysis had checked on her earlier that day, like she did every day. The girl was sound asleep in the jail cell originally created to hold Lysis in. Lysis wanted Tara to remain unaware for the duration of Lysis’ visit, which would hopefully end tomorrow. Tomorrow would mark one week at her grandfather’s mansion.

Of course, Lysis knew better than to cling to anything as ridiculous as hope. If you wanted something then you needed to take life by the reigns and claim it for yourself. Make your own luck and make life your bitch, as Lysis liked to think. Her grandfather was no doubt taking her out tonight to discuss the very same matter

Still having several hours to kill, Lysis decided to go for a swim and work off some of her pent up energy. Quickly slipping into a favorite bikini of hers, Lysis left her room and headed towards the pool. It was located in the back of the house, not far from the sun room; in fact the room it was in might as well have been a sun room as well. The entire back wall and half of the ceiling were comprised entirely of glass. The room had several entrances, one of which on the balcony that overlooked the pool.

Grabbing the rail, the young woman peered down at the main level below her, with the glass just beyond. Grinning, Lysis got onto the cream marble rail and vaulted herself off of it. Flipping forward, she reinforced her legs with her telekinetic energy and landed skillfully on the marble tile below. From her crouched position she sprang forward, performing several more flips and handsprings as she got ever closer to the water.

Finally she flew off of the edge of the pool, flying past the shallow end and making a perfect dive, slicing into the water. She let her body coast along, enjoying her thrill. It was a bit much for a simple dive into a pool, but she enjoyed it. It felt good.

Kicking her feet, Lysis swam underneath the glass wall, now being outside. The pool was long and large as it was both inside and outside. The deepest part of the pool was outside, reaching a depth of five meters. Flipping her body forward, Lysis hit the bottom with her feet. Telekinetically enforcing her legs again, she kicked off, going straight to the surface and shooting out of the pool entirely. Flipping again, she dove back into the water.

Swimming was much more fun for telekinetics. There were all sorts of things you could do that regular humans, and even non-telekinetic psychics couldn’t. Reaching the very end of the pool, Lysis turned around, resting her back and her arms against the edge and looking up at the enormous tree, whose branches provided much needed shade on such a hot day. The tree was incredibly large, a sign that it was very old. It sat atop a small knoll in the grass by the edge of the pool.

The pool and the tree were tended to very carefully in order to ensure that no roots drilled through the wall of the pool and damage it. The roots were sprawled all over the top of the knoll, like a giant Ariados’ legs, reaching very far and sustaining the large tree.

Looking back at the glass wall and the rest of the pool beyond it, Lysis grinned. Taking in a large breath, the young woman fell beneath the surface, planting her feet up against the wall. Summoning even more telekinetic energy, much more than she had just used, she focused all of it into every muscle in her legs and feet. Then, she shot off of the wall like a bullet.

The force she generated was so powerful that it looked like a Gyarados was swimming just beneath the surface of the pool, creating an enormous wake that followed the young woman as she sped towards the glass wall. Sliding beneath it, her wake slammed up against it, splashing water over the entire wall. Within seconds she had reached the other end of the pool and surfaced as what remained of her wake washed over and past her like a wave, flooding the rest of the room.

“You’re lucky this room was built for that sort of thing,” she heard her grandfather’s voice say.

She shot her midnight-blue gaze up at him, watching as he stared back at her from the balcony. “I don’t see why,” she replied. “It’s not like you’re able to do any of that sort of thing.”

Edwin smiled. She was right about that. “No, but your grandmother could.”

“Could she?” Lysis said with mild surprise, cocking a brow.

“Yes, she wasn’t bad either,” he added. “Though she was less… physical with her telekinesis,” he explained, indicating how Lysis only used her psychic ability to reinforce her limbs and grant her more strength.

Lysis changed the subject away from her grandmother. It was a bit of a sore spot for her, what happened between her grandparents. “Did you come to fetch me for dinner?” she asked, thinking it was too soon for that.

“No, still too soon for that. I was just passing through,” he said as his Honchkrow flew into the room, landing on his shoulder. The miniature bird squawked at her in greeting, but Lysis didn’t return it.

“We’ll leave in about two hours,” he said, walking off.

After he left Lysis exhaled. The more she saw him the more he made her sick. Swimming in a more casual manner, she ducked her head under the wall, reemerging outside once more. Her thoughts lingered on her grandmother. Lysis knew that both her grandparents were psychics. It wasn’t uncommon at all for psychics to know other psychics – it was a rather small community after all.

Of course, the ability skipped over her father and onto her. Or, at least, if her father did have any psychic potential, it wasn’t enough to do anything with. That was common with most people actually. Many people actually had psychic potential, but it was so very minimal that they really wouldn’t notice. It would commonly translate to clumsiness, or increased empathy, that sort of thing. Valaura had told her that Fida’s new friend, the young man, was like that.

Of course, Lysis had never given much thought to the girl beyond the assurance of her safety in order to calm Tara down. Fida and those she surrounded herself with were Tara’s business. Or rather, it used to be. As much as Tara wanted to see the girl, she was adamant that she best leave Fida alone, especially now that Lysis herself was in the picture.

However, beyond anyone’s, including Lysis and Valaura’s knowledge, they shared more connections than any of them realized.

Sighing, Miss Fox floated in the middle of the pool, treading water as she extended a finger out over the surface. Focusing on the water itself, she telekinetically took hold of some of it, swirling it around in the air with her finger. Lysis did know the basics of controlling objects with her mind – she was forced to learn them, but after she had discovered her specialty in focusing it into her limbs, the Rockets had her practice that instead. Controlling objects was simply something Lysis had little practice with, but she could do it. She briefly explored the idea of widening her horizons. She couldn’t see why not. It wasn’t as if she had anything better to do.

Letting the small glob plop back into the water, Lysis gathered up more of it, controlling a beach ball sized amount and experimenting with it.

-------

The door of the car was held open for Lysis as she descended the front steps. Slipping into the back seat, her grandfather right behind her, she asked, “and which restaurant will we be going to?”

“Sonata,” her grandfather replied as the driver pulled away from the house. Within moments the car was hidden beneath the sea of trees that surrounded the mansion.

Lysis raised a brow, having never been to the restaurant herself. It was a popular place with the wealthy in Lilycove. Only the truly wealthy could get in – it wasn’t like one of those restaurants that the middle class or even most of the upper class could afford to go to once in a while for birthdays.

Eventually the road led them to the route. Turning left onto it they continued on their way to Lilycove. Streets were packed with rush hour traffic, but the driver knew a few things, and managed to cut down on the time a bit using back roads, which allowed them plenty of time to get to their six o clock reservation.

Most people didn’t eat till later, but Edwin Fox liked having dinner at around six. That was how it has been done for all his life and he surely wasn’t going to change it now. The driver let them out in front of the building the restaurant was in before finding a spot to park.

Lysis wore a simple black cocktail dress, while her grandfather was in one of his many suits. They both walked into the building, which was a high class skyscraper. Sonata, the restaurant, took up the two highest floors of the building, allowing for a magnificent view of the city and the sea just beyond.

The elevator left them off at the restaurant, where they were greeted by the maître d’, who recognized Edwin immediately and summoned one of the waiters to seat him and his granddaughter.

“What a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Fox,” the waiter said after seating the two at a table. “Will it be the usual for you, sir?” he asked as a waitress placed four glasses on the table. Two were full of ice water, the other two were wine glasses, which she silently filled before placing the bottle on the table and slinking away.

“Yes, that will be fine,” Edwin said to the waiter.

“And you, miss?”

“The same, please,” she replied with a smile. She really didn’t want to look at the menu, she just wanted the dinner to be over with.

“We will bring them out to you shortly,” he said, bowing his head and walking away.

Taking a sip of her wine, Lysis waited impatiently for the food to arrive. No doubt the conversation wouldn’t start till half-way through dinner. Until then it would only be small talk.

“So, did you enjoy your swim today?” Edwin asked. “It’s been a while since anyone has used the pool. It is nice to see it in use again.”

“It is a nice pool. It’s a shame I didn’t use it sooner,” she replied, wondering if she could spur him to summon the subject up sooner than he had planned.

“Ah, well, you were busy with other things.”

Nope. Lysis could just summon the topic on her own, but she’d rather be courteous to her own flesh and blood, even if that flesh and blood was a manipulative old man. Taking another sip of wine she glanced around the room, briefly glancing at the faces that filled it. To be fair, all of it seemed so fake. as fake as her grandfather. Such a plastic life. Lysis did adore it, but she didn’t really understand why.

Every single action taken was in order to impress others, to project some sort of idea of one’s self into the minds of other people. Make them believe what you want them to believe. Lysis was completely against it. She was always sure to reflect herself. She was who she was, and she had nothing to hide.

“Excuse me,” she said to her grandfather as she got up out of her seat. “I’ll be right back.” Lysis was heading towards the restroom, wanting to escape for a few moments within the embrace of the various perfume and lotion scents. Leaning against the counter she inspected her nails with a meticulous eyes. She had painted them a dark red, and overall they looked nice.

Spying a couch up against the wall she took a seat on it, crossing one legs over the other as she closed her eyes. Deciding to check on Tara again, she focused on the plain where their minds overlapped. In an effortless instant she was there in the scenic dreamscape. The memory of wind blew at her in her dress as the memory of the scent of flowers filled her nose. It was all very convincing, but none of it was actually real.

Taking her sweet time, Lysis strode towards the large tree in the distance – the only tree that could be seen for miles. Of course, it was also surrounded by a cage. As Miss Fox neared it she could see Tara, the younger girl’s form still laying upon the stone bench, as if she had just laid down for an afternoon nap.

Wrapping her hands around the bars, Lysis watched Tara. For the briefest moment she regretted everything that had happened to Tara. The whole thing that had happened back in Johto. She really was just being selfish. There was no doubt about that. That was just who she was. Lysis came first, always. And there was always the fact that Tara was only alive because of her, but that didn’t seem to matter much to her.

Lysis sighed, plucking a flower that grew at her feet. Turning around, she leaned up against the prison and held the flower to her nose. No use thinking about it. What’s done is done. She may feel remorseful, but not enough to leave. That would be akin to suicide, unless she dispensed herself into some random coma victim. Of course, then that would be selfish too wouldn’t it? Tearing that person away from those waiting for them to come to... At least she wouldn’t know them. That would make it easier.

But, she would need to find a pretty comatose victim. It would be ideal if her and Tara could learn to coexist. Plus, Tara had to have softened to her by now. Even just a little. Of course, she won’t be very happen once she finds out what actually happened here. Nothing went right for Lysis as far as Tara was concerned.

Throwing a petal-less stem back to the ground, Lysis left the dreamscape, returning to the front seat of Tara’s body. Her eyes fluttered and she saw a hand being waved in front of her face.

“Hello?” came a shrill voice. It sounded as if that had been the tenth time the voice had said "hello."

Lysis flashed her eyes at the older woman and smiled as she stood. Tara was a bit taller than her, of course, Lysis' real body would be even taller than that, having been above-average in height. “Can I help you?”

“I, uh, was just making sure you were all right,” the woman stuttered. Tara could be much more intimidating when Lysis was in control. “You weren’t answering me.”

“I was meditating,” Lysis answered as she walked over to the sink, heels clacking against the marble floor.

“Oh! Please forgive me,” the woman said, looking very remorseful.

“It’s no trouble,” Lysis said as she washed her hands. “Here,” Lysis added after drying her hands, placing a small bottle of lotion that she had pulled out of her clutch.

The woman held it in her hand with a bit of a dumb look on her face, wondering how Lysis knew that was what she was going to ask about. It was the only reason the woman had bothered Lysis in the first place.

“Keep it,” Miss Fox said as she left the restroom. Arriving back at the table she saw that salads had been brought. Returning to her seat she took her fork and skewered a cherry tomato with it.

“Sorry about that,” she said as she popped the tomato into her mouth.

“Is everything all right?” Edwin asked, starting on his salad now that she had returned.

“Yes, just didn’t feel so well for a moment. It passed,” she assured him, biting into a crisp piece of lettuce.

“That’s good.”

They finished the rest of their salads in silence, and the moment they finished their meals were brought out to them. Apparently the usual was Blanquette de veau. Edwin Fox always did like his stews. Lysis couldn’t complain after tasting it. Whoever the head chef at Sonata was, they knew what they were doing.

She did her best to take her time, not wanting to appear too eager. Nonetheless, she did finished a few minutes before her grandfather, who seemed to savor every spoonful. Leaning back, Lysis swirled her wine in her glass as she gazed around the restaurant again, noticing men in suits placed at different points in the room. She could recognize them as her grandfather’s men easily due to how in synch they were. She wasn’t surprised – her grandfather was unpopular with many people, many of which would take any chance they had at ending the old man’s life.

“So…” her grandfather said, wiping his upper lip with his napkin before placing it back in his lap.

Lysis snapped her eyes back towards him, ready for him to finally start speaking.

“I’m sure you’re well aware that a week has nearly passed,” he began. “I’m wondering what decision you’ve made concerning staying with me, but before you tell me, simply listen to my offer. If you choose to stay, then I will have you enrolled at St. Anthony’s, so that you can receive a degree and make a proper living for yourself. I will allow you to come and go as you please, and you will have use of any of the cars and the helicopter. Anything you need at all I will provide for you. And you’ll be with family, where you belong.”

Lysis pretended to think about it for a moment. Although the offer didn’t sound like much, it really was. What more could anyone want? “I’m sorry,” she said, putting on her best apologetic face. “But I’m already making a proper living for myself, I can have whatever I want, I can already do any of those things you’ve offered. And I have no right to make the decision anyway. This is still Tara Valen’s body.”

Edwin pulled back one side of his mouth in a slight grimace. “We can change that. I could change that. I could go in there and eliminate her. Then her body’s yours.”

Lysis didn’t flinch at the outrageous proposal. “No. I won’t allow that. Despite how it may seem, I do still care for her. What I have done in the past cannot but changed, but she’s already suffered so much because of me.”

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. “You realize, me asking you to stay is really just a formality.”

Lysis leaned back, ignoring the carrot cake placed before her. So that’s how it was. Shooting a glance at the guards again, she realized they weren’t here solely for the purpose of protecting her grandfather. They were there to subdue her if needed. And they could. Alone she could handle them easily, but with her grandfather as well, she hardly stood a chance. He was an impressive telepath, and he would break into her mind and render her defenseless.

“I didn’t expect this from you, granddaddy,” she said. How long had he been scheming? Lysis soon realized that this was not something that would be over with quickly. It would be a long time before she would be able to get out of it. Already she was thinking of a plan. “Seeing as I have no choice then, I’ll agree, but believe me – this doesn’t do much to endear me to you in any way.”

Lysis knew he was aware of that. And she also knew that he was well aware that she would try to escape. He wasn’t going to trust her at all for a long while.

“I know, but believe me when I say I’m doing this because I love you. You belong with family, my dear. This is for the best,” he sighed, but he seemed pleased that she agreed without much trouble. Still, he wasn’t going to let his guard down around her.

”I’m sure it is,” she thought to herself, doing her best not to glower at the man. She was suddenly involved in something that would need a lot of meticulous planning. And she still didn’t even know what his aim was. What did he gain from having her at home? She hardly cared at this point. Lysis just wanted to get out, and her planning started now.

“I’m not very hungry,” she said. “I would like it if we went… home.” Lysis said with mild disdain as she pushed the carrot cake away and grabbed her clutch, waiting for her grandfather to respond.

“Of course, I understand,” he replied. Edwin obviously wanted her to like him again as soon as possible. He wanted to be close with her. He waved for the check and buttoned his coat. Once the bill was paid the two Foxes left their table and made their way out the door and into the elevator. The car pulled up the moment they stepped out of the building. Lysis slid in first as before and her grandfather followed.

Nothing was said the entire ride back to the mansion. Lysis had crossed her leg over the other and had her back away from the man, looking out the window to avoid having to look at any part of him. He had known how to trap her. He knew that she couldn’t use Tara as an excuse, especially when he could take her out of the picture so easily, and the fact that he even had the gall to suggest it made her seethe. Edwin was playing his cards very well, but Lysis was determined. She never lost at cards, and she never planned to.

“I’m going to bed,” she said the moment they were through the door.

“Wait,” her grandfather said, grabbing her arm.

Lysis reluctantly turned to face him. “What is it?”

“I just… want to apologize for all of this. I know how you must hate me right now, but everything will turn out right – you’ll see,” he explained, slipping something into her hand. “I’m giving you this. I hope it’ll help some with the boredom. Your classes at St. Andrew’s don’t begin till next week.”

Lysis glanced down at her hand, seeing a small spherical device. It was mostly a glossy black, with what looked like actual gold going around the center with a golden button in front. There was a red ring on the top half of the sphere. It was undeniably a Pokéball, a Luxury Ball to be specific. This one was actually much nicer than the typical Luxury Balls, and obviously much more expensive. Lysis wasn’t sure what to think when she saw it.

“You didn’t…” she muttered. Having spent a large part of her life in the care of Team Rocket, Lysis had a certain opinion when it came to Pokémon. Most of them really were useful tools, or obstacles in some of her experiences, and only a few shone above the rest. Valaura, for example, was a Pokémon Lysis could respect, but other Pokemon...

“I think it would be good for you,” Edwin said as his own Honchkrow fluttered in and perched on his shoulder as if on cue. “It’s a good one. I got it from one of the top breeders in the world. I hope you’ll like it, and show it some kindness, even if you refuse to show me any,” he said, smiling slightly. “Good night.”

With that the old man left for another part of the house. Lysis glanced at the Pokéball one last time before sighing and making her way to her room. Tossing the ball onto her desk, Lysis slipped out of her heels and prepared a bath. She needed time to think. If Edwin thought he was going to have his way with her then he was sorely mistaken, and no number of gifts would change her mind.

“Oh, Tara,” she muttered as she slipped into the bubbly water, relaxing her muscles. “Sorry I got you into this…”