"Occupation...? I'll just put down "handyman."

From the moment you waltzed into his office with your shoulders held high, airy laughter echoing in the usually stoic halls, Corbeau knew you were going to be a problem.

You had no business walking into this carefully curated environment, made to be intimidating, and being as cheerful as you were. And yet, here you sat on his fancy leather couch, like a goddamn teenager trying to get a rise out of their classmates. Your laughter made your overly anxious friend, Lida, tense her shoulders.

He tried to keep the irritation out of his voice, he really did, but the way you pushed back on every question, the way you raised your eyebrows smugly at the idea that you’d work off the debt, even the way you checked your nails while he spoke, it made him grit his teeth.

“Is this punk trying to test my patience?” He whisper-shouted to Philippe, who shrugged, looking almost undetectably amused.

“Why, is it working?” You laughed, the sound filling the wide open office.

Lida looked at you in disbelief, “don’t back talk him! You’re gonna end up in the saison canal!” She tried to whisper, but her voice peaked with the nerves.

Corbeau waved that off.

“No, no, let your little friend speak,”

Lida bit the inside of her cheek, looking at you with wide eyes that said ‘don’t push it’

“Little friend?” You scoffed, “I’m taller than you, for starters, so I don’t know who you’re calling little.”

Lida put her face in her hands, groaning.

“And second? Leave Lida the hell alone, she didn’t do anything to deserve being saddled with this, neither did I, frankly, but she’s like barely out of high school, at least I’m closer to your age.”

Corbeau raised an eyebrow, “well, if you insist,” he nodded to Philippe, “walk Miss Lida out and get her a cab, this debt is being settled between me and our hilarious guest now.”

“Yes, boss.”

Lida shook her head, “I-I can’t leave you here alone with him,” she motioned her head not so subtly.

“Go, Lida. It’ll be fine, I’ll be fine, I’ve dealt with worse,” you insisted, “go tell Naveen what’s going on, and try to get a hold of Urbain, I’ve got some choice words for him too.”

Hesitantly, she rose, giving you one last look of worry before following Philippe out of the building.

-

“You have no idea who you’re messing with, do you?” Corbeau smiled, a tension behind it.

“Who I seem to be messing with is a loan shark who ropes teenagers into crushing debt for fun,” you crossed your arms, “what I can’t fathom is why? Why Urbain?”

“He approached me. I’m not one to turn down someone who needs help. Now, you’re asking me questions like you hold the power here, how…cute.”

You rolled your eyes, standing up, “I’m willing to talk about the debt, but I’m not playing cat and mouse with you, which, if you truly insist, you’re much more mouse sized than I am.”

“Feisty, huh? So much attitude, yet you’ve hardly heard me out.”

“That’s it. Have fun dealing with Urbain.”

You turned to leave, hearing the door of the elevator make a loud click.

“You think I’m just gonna let you walk?”

“Well I figure this place isn’t operating fully legally, but surely you wouldn’t kidnap someone when there’s eyewitness evidence to their last location, being your office.”

“Sit.”

“Woof woof,” you mocked, sitting dramatically.

“Now here’s what I’m offering,” he folded his hands, regaining some composure, “nothing too hard, I just want you to take care of some little jobs here and there for us. Small things, things that benefit the city. You do well, and I'll start reducing the interest that your friend owes to us.”

“And if I say fuck all of that?”

“Then I’ll bring each and every grunt to your little hotel and have a big ol’ pokémon showdown. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”

“Might be good for business, things have been slow,” you smirked.

“Look. You’re getting a much better deal here than most people, you know that, right?”

“That’s what every shady businessman says.”

“For fucks sake—do we have a deal or not?” He held a hand out expectantly.

You thought for a moment. About the hotel. About your friends, friends you’d grown to want to protect. And poor AZ, all that noise would really dampen his mood. Sighing, you reached out and gave a half assed handshake.

“When do I start, oh dear boss?” You rolled your eyes.

“Tomorrow. I’ll call.”

You gave him a salute, mockingly of course, then walked for the elevator.

He held the key fob in his hand.

“Oh, and one more thing? Bring a better attitude to your jobs than you did to this meeting. We’ve got a reputation to uphold.”

“Ah, yes, scamming teenagers is a real admirable reputation.”

“I didn’t scam him, he read the contract.”

“Look at the kid, you knew he wasn’t gonna be able to pay.”

“I don’t see how that’s my problem.”

-

Sitting in the office after you left, Corbeau had his hands in his hair, sighing a stressed breath, “these fucking tourists…”

Philippe nodded along.

“Like, seriously, who does this punk think they are?”

“May I speak freely, boss?” Philippe struggled not to let a smile crack onto his face.

Corbeau quirked a brow, curious, and relented.

“Of course.”

“This attitude…It sorta reminds me of you, back then, before we realized we had more in common than we thought.”

“And that implies what? You think I have anything in common with that brat? Because I guarantee I do not.”

“I’m not necessarily saying that, but give them a chance, and maybe you’ll find some common ground.”

“I sincerely doubt it.”

-

The call arrived just as you’d gotten back from calming more rogue mega pokémon, slumping into a chair not 10 minutes earlier.

“Hello, hello. You must be back at the hotel by now?” His voice sounded smug.

“This better be important, I just got back from a big task and I am not in the mood.”

“Eh, let’s cut the act, I know you did. We are always watching. I assume you’re smart enough to understand what that means, yes? I’ve got your first job. Regardless of importance, you shook on it, my friend.”

You could hear the expression on his face, and normally you might find it laughable how high and mighty he was acting, but not right now. Not when you were this tired.

“You’re an asshole,” you grumbled, grabbing your satchel and angrily standing up, shoes stomping against the floor loud enough to startle your nearby ace.

“Oh, I’m wounded,” he sighed dramatically, before clicking his tongue and continuing “anyway, we’ve got a small bunch of troublemakers holed up in one of the old buildings in the Bleu District. I need you to teach them a lesson.”

“Why not do that yourself, tough guy? Scared to ruffle up your hair?”

You could practically hear the veins in his forehead bulge at that, but he didn’t let it slip into his voice.

“I’d do it, but if the Rust Syndicate takes direct action, it could draw a bit too much attention. That’s why I’d like you to handle this for us. Just think of it as doing the city a service.”

“I suppose my height might make me a little more intimidating,” you snarked, clipping your satchel to your belt.

“Think whatever helps you do the job. Go on now, don’t let me keep you. Good luck!”

And with that, he hung up.

-

As it turned out, the ‘troublemakers’ were some gengar and a gastly, which you made quick work of. You stood back without looking, bumping into Corbeau, who’d come to check on you.

Catching you before you fell and righting you with a strangely efficient movement, he chuckled.

“Pretty impressive! Of course, minus the trust fall.”

“Nothing better to do, huh?” You scoffed, stepping away from him, a feeling you couldn’t place twisted in your stomach.

“I was just stopping by to make sure you handled the job properly.” He shrugged.

“Didn’t expect such an easy job from the big bad boss man.”

“Well, it needed doing. I’m sure you must know that there are a lot of wild pokémon coming to Lumiose these days, right?”

“Yeah, it’s clearly made for an interesting vacation so far,” you chuckled.

“Quasartico's holo-tech does a pretty good job of keeping them in set areas and out of trouble. But some make their way into the city and cause problems for people and other pokémon.” You weren’t sure if he was explaining it to you, or the young man you’d helped, regardless, you nodded along politely.

“This trend has forced some Pokémon out of their usual habitats—and into our living spaces. It's tough not having a place where you belong. It was the same for me back when I was a kid.” He looked at the floor as he said that, turning his head away from you, more towards the young man. Was he avoiding your gaze?

You were brought out of your thoughts by the cries of another gengar. Sighing, you readied your poké ball.

"Looks like you didn't take care of every last troublemaker, did you? Now that's sloppy work...” Corbeau raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by the shortcoming. At least now he wasn’t averting your eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll deal with it,” you rolled your eyes.

The young man stopped you, “actually, hang on, I feel bad chasing it out of its home...”

“So, what're you gonna do with that Pokémon?" Corbeau inquired, a pleased look on his face.

“I'll look after it and see how things go. I’m sure we can live together, at least for now…”

“Well then,” he smiled, turning back to you, “I've got your next job lined up already. I need you to help out one of my people. She'll be on the riverbank near the electrical substation. I need you to take care of some...undesirable elements down there.”

“Are you serious? Like, the sewer?” You groaned, “I hate you.”

“Plenty of time to hate me on the way there, off you go,” he grinned, giving you a light shove on the shoulder. The gesture felt…playful? friendly? You shook the feeling off as you walked away, there’s no way he’d be so friendly with you on purpose, in fact, you were quite certain he hated you.

-

“So…I’m just cleaning mega crystals?” You clarified.

“Yeah, that’s what boss said,” she shrugged, “usually us grunts do it, but I guess he wanted to put you to work. He did also say you can keep any crystals you break.”

“He made it sound a lot worse than cleanup duty,” you laughed, “called the crystals ‘undesirable elements’ and told me to ‘take care of them’. He did something similar with the last job too.”

“That’s the boss for ya, he lives on making people squirm, thinks it’s funny,” she chuckled.

“It kind of is, honestly,” you couldn’t help laughing more, was this man dangerous at all?

“I’ll be right here, come back when you’re done,” she smiled, shooing you off.

The cleanup felt almost therapeutic. Repetitively ordering your ace to break the crystals was mindless, and you got into a groove, letting your mind slip to other things.

How odd was Corbeau, seemingly hating you, yet seeking you out after such an easy job? Not to mention the piece of backstory he let slip, why to you? You ribbed him at every opportunity, surely you annoyed the hell out of him, right? So why trust you? Was he fishing for pity to manipulate you? Or maybe he was just making conversation?

Before you knew it, all of the crystals were cleared up, and you headed back to the grunt waiting on you.

“Good work in there,” she grinned.

When you two walked out of the sewer doors, you stood face to face with Corbeau once again. The grunt immediately squatted, some sort of syndicate-wide greeting, you figured.

“Thanks for taking care of that pesky mess down there, couldn’t have it becoming too stuffy for the local pokémon.”

“Thanks for sending me into a stank ass sewer for something your grunts clearly know how to do,” you scowled, but it was harder to force the edge into it.

“I’m not all bad, you got crystals out of it,” he chuckled, it sounded…relaxed.

“Why’d you come to check in? Didn’t think I could handle that either?”

“Actually, I had a question for you. Is it true that you’re going around calming down rogue mega evolutions?”

“Yes, that’s true, why?”

“That leads to my follow up question. I know a guy showed up after you calmed one of those rogue pokémon recently. Who was he?”

“Oh, that guy? He’s just called L, I think? I’m not sure, that whole thing was odd.”

“Well, that gentleman's name is Lysandre. He is—or was—a very wealthy and generous businessman. He helped me out when I was a kid. Provided me with support since I had no family to rely on.”

“Wait, wait, Lysandre?! That was Lysandre? Team Flare Lysandre? I thought he died when he…” even remembering what the man did—tried to do—it made your stomach turn. You felt stupid for not recognizing him, not that you were local anyway, but his face was all over the news everywhere. How had you not noticed?

“I...don't know why he did what he did five years ago, or what he's been up to since. But if he's alive, that means I can repay him for everything he's done for me.” Corbeau looked at the water solemnly. A magikarp splashing by drew him out of his contemplation. “Oh, but look at me, rambling on.” He chuckled, then his face grew serious, looking at you again, “you’d better not breathe a word of this to anyone, understand? Otherwise, that interest will become a lot more of an issue for you.”

“Chill, man. I’m a bit cocky, but I’m not a heartless asshole,” you half chuckled, half sighed.

“Well, in any case, I’ve got another job for you. We've got a little problem with some outsiders causing trouble on our turf. It might get nasty... but you should be able to handle it for me, right?”

“Am I gonna have to rehome some weedle or something?” You laughed.

“You'll know what's up if you head to the battle court near Centrico Plaza. Go take care of it." He shooed you away.

-

While you were off to your next job, Corbeau sat on a bench by the canal, a twisting feeling in his stomach. He called the only person he could think of.

“Philippe, I don’t know what’s going on with my stomach right now, feels all sorts of fucked up.”

“Well, boss, we ate the same lunch and I’m not feeling any different than usual.”

“Forget it. I don’t know why I even called, it’s stupid,” he huffed, kicking a crack in the pavement.

“Is something on your mind?”

He sighed, “I…I don’t really know, I guess a few things are.”

“I know things haven’t been easy since Lysandre turned back up, it’s understandable if that’s stressing you out.”

“My feelings about him are…definitely complicated.”

“And, if I may be honest, this whole Team MZ situation probably isn’t helping your stress levels.”

“That tourist sure is a character,” Corbeau chuckled. “They’re making quick work of everything, but they’re certainly not happy about it. I can respect their care for their friends, taking this uncertainty on without any help must not be easy.”

“Almost like someone else I know, someone who’ll work himself into the ground to avoid letting anyone else suffer.”

“Philippe,” he grumbled, “you’re reading too much into this, I just respect their work ethic.”

“And that’s why your stomach hurts right now?”

“What on earth are you implying?”

“Nothing, nothing, just thinking out loud.”

“Speaking of the tourist, I should go make sure they’re not getting eaten alive by Jacinthe’s lackeys.”

“Boss, don’t you think they can handle it? You’ve checked up after their last two tasks as well.”

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’d like to make sure our reputation remains intact.”

“Very well, have fun.”

“Have fun? What do you mean have fun?” He shouted, but the phone had already been hung up. “Fucker…”

-

Two incredibly short pokémon battles later, you’d put the arrogant battlers in their place, much to the happiness of the kids they were bothering. Just as you’d finished, Corbeau waltzed into the court, right on cue.

“Hello there, you two.” His voice startled the two well dressed assholes. “I heard word you've been acting like you own this place. Too bad you had to go and lose to this little punk.” You shot him a look of annoyance, but he continued. “People are on edge these days, what with all the wild Pokémon showing up in town. Hardly seems like a good time to be going around troubling our city’s children, now does it?”

The woman in the fancy dress quickly regained composure and turned to face him.

“You're Corbeau of the Rust Syndicate, aren't you? The one who fancies himself some kind of outlaw hero for the masses.”

The man beside her chimed in, “So you sent this boor here to humiliate us? Well, we'll have our revenge someday!”

Before you could react to the fact that he called you a boor, the two turned tail and ran.

“Cowards,” you scoffed.

One of the kids looked up at you.

“Whew, I’m glad you got us out of that. Thank you!”

“No worries,” you smiled.

Corbeau leaned down, “suns starting to set, you all should head home for today too, kiddos. Watch out for strangers!”

He grinned watching them run off, then turned to you with a more serious expression, “I don't think of myself as a hero, you know. Someone has to take action. That's all.”

“I can’t believe that asshole called me a boor,” you pouted, crossing your arms, “meanwhile I bit my tongue the whole time so I wouldn’t teach the kids anything they shouldn’t know.”

“Yeah, they’re certainly not the regions best mannered,” he laughed. “Anyway, you really are strong, aren't you? And yet you don't boast or show off... Why, nobody even knows that you're the one calming Rogue pokémon. You're an interesting one."

“Hey, don’t give me too much credit, I’m not the only one calming them,” you chuckled.

The somewhat peaceful moment was broken by a shout nearby.

“Please, I must ask you to desist! This is ridiculous!”

“Oh great, what’s happening now?” You groaned.

“Not sure, but you're coming with me to find out!"

-

Panting, out of breath, you arrive at the scene of commotion, Corbeau not far behind you. A crowd of very angry people were gathered, shouting at Jett, the CEO of Quasartico. Urbain stood at her side, trying to hide the growing anxiety on his face. He breathed a sigh of relief when he made eye contact with you.

“Thank Arceus you’re here! And...Corbeau, sir?!”

“Goddamnit,” you muttered under your breath, “not exactly who I wanted to see right now.”

Corbeau, on the other hand, seemed much more amused.

"Now here's an unexpected pairing. The CEO of Quasartico and Urbain together, huh? Care to explain all the ruckus?"

One of the protesters piped up.

“You've heard the rumors that Quasartico's behind all the wild Pokémon coming to the city, right? We want to hear the truth from the CEO!”

Corbeau furrowed a brow, but before he could get a word in, Urbain was talking again.

“But those rumors are ridiculous!” he shouted to the crowd, then turned to look at you and Corbeau again. “I came here because I'd heard these people might try to start something with Quasartico—and good thing I did! This crowd won't listen to reason!”

Another protester followed Urbain’s gaze until he narrowed in on you and Corbeau.

“Who are you two? We're trying to keep our city safe, so if you're going to get in our way, then you'll have to face my Pokémon!”

"’Keep our city safe’? Don't make me laugh, you’re doing nothing of the sort, but by all means, let’s battle.” Corbeau crossed his arms. “Urbain! Get the president away from this mess!"

“Got it! This way, ma’am!” He bounded off down the road, Jett in tow.

"Well, isn't this an interesting turn of events. Though I'm not sure how I ended up protecting a scoundrel who won't even repay a debt..." Corbeau grumbled.

You chuckled.

“You’re kinder than you act, tough guy.”

"Tch, give me a break! ‘Kind’ people don't end up in my line of work. Still, I can't just abandon folks who are in trouble. That's below even me.” He readied a poké ball, looking at you expectantly. “Come on now, I'll lend a hand—that makes it two against one. I never said I'd play nice!”

-

After a very quick ass beating, the group of rowdy protesters scattered, leaving Corbeau and yourself to go catch up to Urbain and Jett.

“My scolipede’s pretty strong, eh?” Corbeau bragged.

“Don’t act like I didn’t carry that battle,” you elbowed him playfully.

“Sure, sure, you would’ve handled it entirely alone.” His biting sarcasm felt less harsh now than it did before, maybe he really didn’t hate you? The idea made you feel oddly warm.

You were dragged out of your contemplation by Urbain practically tackling you into a hug.

“Thank you for the help, I had no idea how to handle that many people…” he laughed, then pulled away and straightened up, “and thank you too, Corbeau, sir.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. Couldn’t have you getting injured after all, lest we have to wait even longer to get our money. Not that we’d mind you racking up more interest,” Corbeau chuckled from the way Urbain’s eyes widened at the idea. “Besides, the Rust Syndicate deals in favours, not violence.”

He turned his gaze to Jett, you noticed the harsher look he gave her, shoulders tensing.

"So...You there, Quasartico president lady... What that rabble was going on about—how the wild pokémon are coming here because of Quasartico...Any truth to that?"

She thanked the two of you for helping, and then went on a soulless corporate-sounding rant about people and pokémon living together, how holo-tech fit into it all, it was more like an FAQ answer than anything else.

Corbeau looked just as convinced in her authenticity as you, that’s to say not at all.

"Yeah, I really hope that's all true. It would be a shame for something to happen to this city. I do love this place, in spite of everything I've been through here,” he shrugged, turning to leave, “well, thanks for putting in a bit of overtime, punk. I'll be in touch."

You waved a goodbye, then turned your attention back to Jett. She recognized you from Vinnie’s reports, and she knew you were staying at Hotel Z, but beyond that she seemed rather disinterested. You gave basic nods and responses, wanting nothing more than to finally go lay down.

Urbain must’ve seen you were tired, because he got you out of the conversation. “I’ll stick with President Jett and make sure she gets back alright, why don’t you head back to the hotel for now? I bet Lida and Naveen are worried about you.”

“And whose fault is that?” You laughed, gently punching his shoulder. You hadn’t forgiven him entirely yet, but he was hard to stay mad at.

“Yeah, I know, I’m sorry,” he frowned, “rest up, alright?”

“I’ll try,” you nodded, heading off to hail a cab.

-

As soon as you walked into the hotel, Lida and Naveen were up out of their chairs and running up to you.

“You’re back!! Are you alright? Do you think it’s over?” Lida asked, looking you over for any visible injuries.

“Hard to say, but honestly it was pretty much community service,” you shrugged, “Corbeau made me chase off a few pokémon, clean mega crystals, and help some kids who were being harassed. He’s really not that scary, don’t know why everyone’s shitting bricks.”

“Huh. When you put it like that, it just sounds like what you normally do,” Naveen chuckled.

“But you should’ve seen him angry! He was terrifying!” Lida protested.

The chitchat was cut off with your rotom phone ringing.

“Oh for fucks sake, speak of the devil,” you sighed, clicking the answer button. “Hello?”

“Hey, good work today.”

“Thanks, but is that why you’re calling?”

“There’s something I’d like to discuss with you. Stop by our office…Alone, please.”

“Alone?” You teased.

“Ugh—that’s not what I—whatever, I’ll be waiting.” He hung up abruptly, not leaving time to hear more of your laughter.

“Shit, is he calling you back in?” Lida sighed, “I dunno what kind of bad luck gets you caught up in so much stuff…”

“I’m sorry we can’t do more to help,” Naveen frowned.

“He’s probably gonna ask me to rescue someone’s espurr from a tree or something, don’t worry about it,” you brushed off, “I’m a little pissed that I don’t get my nap though.”

-

Philippe walked you into the office. “Our guest is here, boss.”

“Excellent, thank you Philippe.”

“What, no thanks for me? Y’all could at least pay for my taxi if I’m gonna be running around for you,” you laughed.

“Well, thanks for coming in. And if transport is an issue, that could be arranged.”

“Nah, I make enough in the Royale, just teasing. Anyway, is this another job? Gonna make me relocate some beedrill?”

“You are one interesting person, aren’t you?” He mused, "Running odd jobs to help a friend, calming down rogue pokémon... It's all pretty impressive. But more than anything, I love that you can hold your own in a battle, it’s a breath of fresh air compared to the usual ones.”

You hoped your face wasn’t flushing as obviously as it felt, “did you bring me here to compliment me?”

“Nope, that’s just a bonus,” he chuckled, “I've decided you're done working for us! I'll clear all the interest, as promised."

“Is there a catch?” You raised an eyebrow, it felt too easy.

“Well, sort of. You see, I wanted to have a proper, no-holds-barred battle with you.”

“Seems easy enough,” you shrugged, “I’ll battle you.”

Both of your phones chimed, and you both checked immediately.

"Now isn't that interesting. You're my next opponent in the Z-A Royale. Fate itself is telling us we need to battle!"

You wanted to laugh, it was almost adorably passionate, but you didn’t want him to put his walls back up either, so you bit your tongue.

“So, do you have a challengers ticket?”

“Locked and loaded, been ready for my next match since the night of my last one,” you grinned.

He grinned, “I love it when someone’s well-prepared. We can get right to our promotion match!”

You took your places on his battle court.

“Suppose I really ought to thank Urbain for introducing me to an amusing pain in the ass like you. Now then, let's get this started,” he drew his first poké ball, waiting on you.

“I look forward to wiping the floor with you, err, sand? You get what I mean,” you chuckled.

“You're acquainted with Lysandre too, yeah? That's proof enough for me that you're no pushover! I want to experience every drop of your skill as a trainer!” The fired up Corbeau that stood in front of you, so different from how he usually carried himself, it made you smile.

“I barely know the guy, I didn’t even know it was him until you told me!”

“Oh, come on. Let's not argue semantics. He still picked you." Corbeau stretched his arms in preparation as he spoke. "People, pokémon... We all get covered in the grime of the world as we go through life. This city needs people willing to get their hands dirty cleaning up all that mess! As a kid, I had no home, nowhere to go...until Lumiose gave me a place where I could belong. I aim to protect this city in any way I can...And for that, I need more influence! I need to reach Rank A!"

“I’d say you’ve got plenty of influence, so don’t let my swift ass-kicking deter you.”

“Regardless, I'm gonna enjoy my battle with you to the fullest!”

-

The battle was intense, more difficult than you thought it’d be, and Corbeau’s passion alone made him a tough opponent, but in the end you emerged victorious.

“Yes!” You cheered, recalling your pokémon. You were down to your last, which was unusual.

“Well, that’s disappointing. I wasn’t able to let my scolipede fully shine.”

“That’s closer to defeating me than anyone else got, don’t feel too bad about it,” you approached him as you spoke, offering a fist bump.

He smiled, returning the gesture. “Don't know if Lysandre sees your talent, but I do. I see what you can bring to this city.” He pulled back and dug into his jacket pocket. “Here's a TM as a sign of my respect! It's the move for gunk shot. You should have all of your pokémon learn it.”

“Gunk shot, eh? What a name,” you laughed.

“Right?” He chuckled, “Anyway, thanks again, that was a good battle. It’s nice to feel somewhat evenly matched.”

“I’m down to battle again sometime if you want to feel defeat again.”

“You know, we could use someone like you in the Rust Syndicate. What do you say?”

“I don’t think MZ would be too happy with me if I took you up on that, but if you need anything taken care of, I can probably lend a hand.”

“Fair enough. I respect you sticking to your crew. It must be a hell of a team with you on it,” he walked nearly past you, then met your eyes, “though I don't think I'm done with you yet. I'll see you at Hotel Z.” He walked back to his desk and sat down as if he had said nothing at all.

You were glad he wasn’t facing you anymore to see the expression on your face. Composing yourself, you walked out a little quicker than you’d meant to.

-

“Real smooth, boss,” Philippe chuckled

“This whole thing is just, argh,” Corbeau put his head in his hands, “I don’t know why I’m so interested in them.”

“Well, do you want the real answer, or would you rather I spare your pride?”

“Real answer, Philippe.”

“I think you’ve got a crush.”

“I said real answer,” he grumbled.

“That is my real answer, boss. Why else would you be so twisted up about this whole thing? It’s unusual for you to be so invested in a debt client.”

“Fucking hell,” he let his head fall to the desk with a smack, “what am I, some teenager with a hallway crush? It’s been one day!”

“Sometimes things just fall into place, don’t you think?”

“Ughhh,” he groaned into his hands, “this won’t. They hated working for me.”

“Is that what you think? Because sure, they probably hated the jobs themselves, but they seemed pretty happy to battle you, and they offered to help in the future. That doesn’t read as hatred to me.”

Corbeau sat in thought. It was true, wasn’t it? You’d been smiling most of the day, between your sarcastic quips, of course. Your battle was passionate and driven, not something you’d done to get him out of the way so you could climb the ranks. You really were having fun, the ribbing was just another way of showing it. The thought sparked warmth in his chest, how endearing, your strange little show of happiness.

“So I really should show up at the hotel, huh?” Corbeau smiled faintly.

“I’d say you’ve got a good shot, boss.”

“Schedule a car for 9:00pm. That’ll give them some time to rest.”

“On it.”

-

You immediately went to your room and napped once you got back, just in case he’d have another job for you later.

You were woken up by frantic knocking on your door, in a pattern you recognized.

You opened the door, revealing Lida, who looked mildly panicked.

“Yeah?” You grumbled, still half asleep.

“Corbeau showed up and got a room. I have no idea what he wants, but I just thought I should warn you,” she looked over her shoulder as she spoke, as if he’d appear behind her.

“Ah, weird,” you shrugged.

“I hope he’s not here ‘cause he’s mad that you beat him,” she bounced in place, hands tangled together in an anxious pile.

“I’m sure that’s not it, he wasn’t upset earlier, he’s probably just curious about this place.”

“Hopefully you’re right,” she sighed, “I’ve gotta go, I’m headed out for the Royale with Naveen, wanna come?”

“My body physically cannot handle anymore battling today, but thanks for the offer,” you chuckled, “go, have fun!”

“Suit yourself, but call me if anything happens and we’ll run back, okay?”

“I will, don’t worry too much.”

Once the door was closed, you exhaled. You were warned, he told you he’d come by, but you still didn’t know why. The thought made your heart race, what was he doing here? Why was he so interested in you? You’d challenged him at every step, you’d mocked his authority, you beat him in a battle, and yet he was still so deeply fascinated by you that he showed up at your hotel. It couldn’t be anger, clearly he’d dealt with worse, and the way he was talking earlier…was that flirting? And why didn’t that idea bother you?

Your thoughts were interrupted by your rotom phone ringing.

“Blowing up my phone today, huh?” You chuckled.

“305.”

“What?”

“My room number. Come up.” His voice was sharp, as if he was struggling to get the words out.

“Uhm, why?” You questioned, but regardless of his answer, you knew you’d go.

“Just to chat.”

“Alright, I’ll be there in a minute.”

-

Before you even had a chance to knock at his door, he opened it and ushered you in.

“Were you looking through the peephole?” You chuckled, “well, I guess that’s eye height for you.”

“Oh fuck off,” he scoffed, “are you this rude to all of your guests?”

“You’re the first since I’ve been here, haven’t gotten a chance to be my charming self with any other esteemed guests.”

“No wonder Urbain took that loan out, no guests? You’ve been here for a few weeks now, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, Richissime tends to get the business, it seems.”

“Most people probably don’t know this place exists. Hell, I wasn’t very familiar until Urbain came to me looking for money.”

“So, uh, why’d you call me up here? Actually, why are you here?”

You’d never seen him look flustered until now, his cheeks tinted pink.

“You fascinate me. Truly, you do.”

“I could say the same about you, but that’s not an answer to my question,” you flopped down into a nearby chair, “and I’m exhausted, so if you’re gonna beat around the bush, I’m gonna sit.”

“Very well,” he chuckled, sitting on the edge of the bed, not far from the chair, hands folded as if he was sat at a desk.

“So…are you going to elaborate? Or did you drag me away from my nap just to stare at me like I’m some kind of prey animal?”

“Did I wake you?” He frowned.

“Nah, Lida did though, she got all freaked out that you’re here,” you laughed, “she still sees you as a threat, it’s kinda funny.”

“Well I am a threat, just not to the lot of you.”

“I’m sure you can be a threat when you have to be, but I’ve never seen you as that scary.”

“That’s part of what makes you so fascinating,” he hummed, “you waltzed into my office like you owned the place, you stood your ground. If your friends weren’t on the line, I’m sure you would’ve pushed it further.”

“I’m not a pushover, what can I say?”

“Most people’s instinct when in a place like Rust would be to cower and obey, or to run and avoid showing their face at all. But not you.”

“I guess,” you shrugged, “so that made an impression on you? But that doesn’t explain why you’re actually here.”

“Just gonna make me come out and say it, huh?” He pinched the bridge of his nose, glasses moving up a bit. It was as though he wanted a subtle way to hide his face.

“Say what?” You furrowed your brows, “is it another job?”

“Arceus, you’re oblivious,” he groaned, rubbing his temples. “I feel…a certain way…and I don’t know if I can keep it to myself.”

You blushed, “is this some roundabout love confession?” It was a half joking statement, you didn’t think he could possibly feel that way about you, but with the way his face flushed, you realized you were right.

“Would it be bad if it was?” He hid his face with an arm, “I mean, we’ve only just met, I don’t want to come off as desperate or anything, and I promise no ill will to you or your crew if you turn me down, I just thought maybe a date would be…nice.”

When you stood up, his eyebrows furrowed, glance averting, as if he expected you to storm out. Instead, you walked over to the bed and sat beside him.

“That would be nice,” you smiled, “I didn’t expect I’d make you so nervous.”

“I’m not used to this, I don’t…I don’t like feeling like I need anyone. It took me a long time to get used to Philippe, and before that, Lysandre. But obviously neither of them sparked this feeling.”

“Everything that happened, y’know, with Team Flare…that must’ve been really hard…”

“It was, but that’s not important right now, I won’t let him steal a happy moment from me,” he chuckled, a sadness to it. “I’m just, Gods, I was so nervous to come here, I don’t get nervous like that often, not anymore at least. So I’m relieved.”

You leaned on his shoulder. “I was nervous about you coming here too, I had no idea why you’d want to stay here of all places.”

“I think…I think I’d go wherever you are right now.”

You smiled, turning your head to look him in the eyes, still leaning on his shoulder, “yeah, I think I’d go wherever you are too.”

“Forgive my forwardness, and feel free to say no, but could I kiss you?” His cheeks flushed again.

Instead of responding, you closed the distance between your lips. He tasted of tobacco and something sweet, was it mint? You didn’t care, leaning into the kiss with more of a passion, you wanted him to know the interest was definitely mutual.

Pulling away for air, he let out a chuckle.

“Eager, are we?” He held your jaw tenderly, thumbing your cheek.

“Maybe, but you are too,” you laughed, leaning into the touch.

“I suppose I am, your sarcastic wit and awful attitude have enamoured me.”

“Awful, eh?” You grinned, “well, I’ll have to keep it up if this is where it gets me.”

When you’re used to being the glue holding together those around you, you don’t just get to ‘relax’. The word itself left a sour taste in your mouth, how dare you? How dare you when there’s a city to aid and all these incredibly deserving people leaning on you? It’s not like you were new to the stress, or the expectations, or the constant moving forward, forward, forward.

The idea of slowing down, not holding it all on your shoulders even for a moment, it just felt so wrong.

The morning was calm enough, thankfully you’d gotten to ‘sleep in’ a bit, (although for you that meant doomscrolling after Corbeau had gone to work, your body’s internal clock always had you awake at the crack of dawn, and his early rising certainly didn’t help matters), but when your Rotom Phone buzzed aggressively with a call, you sighed and shot up out of bed like a rocket.

The first task of the day was simple, some alpha pokemon was fiercely fighting off the cities best efforts to relocate it somewhere where it couldn’t hurt anyone, you’d dealt with plenty similar issues, nothing your team couldn’t handle.

The houndoom causing a ruckus was huge and exceedingly fast, protecting her recent litter, and she didn’t go down without a fight. Putting your arms up to block your face as she lunged, you were nicked by her large horns, but managed to command your ace fast enough that she couldn’t do any real lasting damage. Once you’d caught the mother and her pups, you sat at a nearby bench and tended to your arm with a small first aid kit. This wasn’t your first rodeo, but that didn’t mean you were great at it. The gauze and bandages quickly soaked through, but you didn’t have time to worry about that as your next task was called in. You simply tugged your sleeve down and continued off.

Next, you’d been asked to stop at Nouveau Café to pick up an order for a Quasartico business meeting, a petty task that you were thankful for with how your first one had gone. By the time you made it to the truck, blood had completely soaked through your sleeve, not that you noticed, simply stuffing the pastry order in your bag and grabbing drink trays with both free hands. Grisham, however, did notice.

“Oh, that doesn’t look too good, what happened?” His usual serene expression was painted with worry.

“Ah, occupational hazards, I’m all good!” You brushed off, turning on your heel as to not be interrogated further, you didn’t have the time for that, “thanks for having the order done so fast! And tell Griselle I said hi when she’s back from her break!”

“Are you sure you’re alright? There’s a first aid kit in the…truck…” he trailed off as you hurriedly started off towards Quasartico.

“No time! Thanks though, Grisham!” You shouted back.

You pulled a sweater on before you entered Quasartico, no need for Urbain to pry at what happened, it was fine.

“Heya! Thank you so much, you’re a lifesaver!” The aforementioned cheered, taking the coffee from you, then quickly realizing he didn’t have room in his hands for the pastries.

“I’ll bring em in, lead the way, CEO,” you chuckled, following his eager footsteps to a soon to be bustling boardroom.

After the delivery was made and spread out on tables, you walked through the plaza while scrolling through a list of research tasks from Mable, seeing what you could potentially get done before you were whisked off to your next job. Your strolling scroll was interrupted by a call from Corbeau, a rarity during the workday. Quickly, you accepted the call, a smile already finding its way to your face.

“Hey love, how’s work?”

“It’s going swell. Say, could you stop by the office? I’m having trouble making out this hyperspace data and I could use some outsider insight.”

You quirked a brow, confused. Him asking you instead of Philippe, or even Mable, was certainly odd. Nevertheless, you wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to see him during your likely soon to get busier day.

“Not sure how much help I’ll be, but sure!”

“Excellent, see you soon, my dear.” He hung up as quickly as he normally did, never one to linger once the conversation had finished.

When you walked into the office, you were surprised to find him alone, laptop shut, hands folded, a small wooden box on the desk.

“What’s up? Where’s Philippe?” You looked around as you walked to his desk, as if the large man could possibly be hidden in the open space.

“Take off the sweater,” he demanded once you reached him. Not harsh, but worry biting at his tone.

You jumped a bit at the sudden request.

“Uhh…How exactly is that gonna help with hyperspace? And why didn’t you answer my question?”

“Grish called me, said you were bleeding like a stuck tepig, and when he offered to help you dashed off.” Corbeau’s expression was a mix of confusion and concern.

“I don’t know why he even bothered you with this, I’m fine, honest,” you chuckled, but he wasn’t convinced.

“Indulge me then. Take the sweater off and let me see for myself.”

“Beau, it’s really not a big deal, I just got nicked, that’s all,” you sighed, “I already bandaged it up.”

He quirked a brow, unconvinced.

“I’m hearing a lot of words but I’m not seeing the sweater come off.”

“Fine, but it looks worse than it is.”

You huffed and shrugged the sweater off, letting it fall to the ground, the sleeve of your shirt stuck to the arm with drying blood.

“I see why he called now,” Corbeau furrowed his brow, pulling the sleeve up to reveal soaked bandages, “Arceus…What on earth happened?”

You looked away, the worried look on his face made this unbearable pit in your stomach. He shouldn’t have to do this, he shouldn’t have to take time out of his probably extremely busy day to play doctor with you, and didn’t he know you could take care of yourself?

“An alpha houndoom grazed me while I was catching her and her pups to relocate, and I didn’t have time to properly deal with it earlier. Just give me the kit and I’ll fix it up.” You reached for the wooden box, now that you were close you could see the green medical cross on the top of it.

He pulled the box back with the hand not holding yours.

“I’ve got medical training, let me.”

“You don’t need to, it’s just a cut, I’m not a child.”

“I know, dear, I never said you were. In fact, you’re extremely capable, if a bit headstrong, but that’s not the point,” he squeezed your hand before letting it go, then stood up, rounding the desk. “You say you had no time, what was so urgent?” He lifted you up onto his desk as if you weighed nothing, putting you at a better angle to patch up.

“Urbain forgot to order for his meeting until the last minute, that’s why I was at Nouveau in the first place, and if I didn’t rush I wouldn’t have gotten it to him in time.”

“You neglected yourself to get some snobby rich people their coffee?” Corbeau tsked, shaking his head as he unwrapped your bandages, “you really do confuse me with your priorities sometimes.”

“Urbain’s not exactly rich yet, or snobby, and besides, he was depending on me,” you argued, “plus the business and publicity of being Quasartico’s chosen coffee is good for the reputation of the café. It’s a win/win, since Urbain gets less crabby investors when they’re caffeinated.”

“A win for everyone but you, it seems,” he placed a towel under your arm, then picked both up in one hand, using the other to douse the wound with sterile water from the first aid kit.

“I was gonna deal with it when I had a second. I know how to take care of myself.” You muttered, more venom in the words than intended.

“Hey, I know you do, I’m sorry if I came off condescending,” his voice was soft, “but you take care of everyone around you, can’t I take care of you for once, my beloved?”

You clenched your jaw as he applied wound glue to the cleaned cut.

“You shouldn’t have to.”

“Have to? When have you known me to be forced into anything that I didn’t willingly want to do?” His expression grew serious, troubled by the idea. “Is it so hard to believe that I want to?”

“Why would you want another responsibility on top of everything you already deal with?”

“A responsibility? Something to deal with? Is that how you think I see you?” He frowned. “Because if so, I need you to know that’s entirely incorrect.”

“I mean, I don’t know, shouldn’t you? Why should I be depending on you to fix me when I can do it?” Your voice shook, “I can fix myself, it’s selfish of me to take help when I don’t need it.”

“It’s like I can hear my younger self saying those exact words,” he chuckled, a tinge of sadness in it. “You shouldn’t feel bad for depending on me, for letting me help you, that’s what a lover is for. In fact, I’d like it if you’d let me take care of you more often, you don’t have to carry the world alone, I don’t want you to feel like you do.”

“It’s…It’s all I’ve known.”

“I know what that’s like, but I’ve learned a car doesn’t drive on one wheel. You need people in your corner, people who don’t just take, but give back, people you can pass the weight off to when it gets too heavy,” he applied fresh gauze and bandages to the wound, bringing the wrapped arm to his lips and kissing it gently.

Tears pricked your eyes, you blinked and felt them roll down your cheek. “I don’t know how…I don’t know how to let other people help me,” you sniffled.

He thumbed the tears from your cheeks, holding your face in his hands.

“Hey, I didn’t either, it comes with time.”

You closed your eyes for a moment, savouring the contact, the feeling of his cold hands holding you like something precious.

“I think everyone can handle it if you take the weekend to relax. Hell, I’ll take the weekend too, I can’t be a hypocrite after all,” he laughed, “I already have tomorrow off, and I’m sure I can swing it with Philippe to fill in so I can take Sunday off too, he’s always nagging me to rest anyway.”

“But what if they need me? I can’t just leave everyone hanging…”

“Then I’ll send grunts to take care of it, or someone else can go deal with it, I promise they’ll be okay,” he kissed your forehead, “you need to rest.”

“I’ll get through today and then take the weekend,” you promised, but he shook his head.

“Nonsense, you’ll start resting immediately, boss’s orders,” the tone was teasing, but you knew he meant it all the same, more of a plea than anything.

“I still have to get these pokémon to the rehabber, and I was supposed to—“

He cut you off with a peck on the lips, “consider it dealt with, I’ll have someone drop them off, and whatever else can wait.”

“But I promised Mable I’d—“

“Absolutely not. She can most definitely wait, she’s got plenty of people doing tasks for her, I’m sure it’ll tie her over.”

You pouted, “fine, but if you’re gonna make me rest I’m hanging out in here until you’re off.”

“I’ll come work on the couch then,” he grinned, grabbing his laptop, “Fridays are always slow anyway.”

You hopped off the desk, following him to sit on the couches, “I’m still confused, where is Philippe?”

“Picking up coffee, we agreed Grish deserved a good tip after helping keep our favourite do-gooder safe. He also figured you probably didn’t want him watching me patch you up.”

“Good call, that would’ve been even more awkward,” you joked, but his expression was soft, filled to the brim with adoration.

“I don’t think taking care of you is awkward,” he smiled, voice soft, “I think it’s all I want to do forever, actually.”

“Forever, huh?” You grinned, “I’ll hold you to that.”

The familiar feeling washed over you suddenly while you were dusting.

The room spun around you, static buzzed behind your eyes, your legs shook.

Dizziness was nothing new. In fact, you’d dealt with it for a long time, much to the confusion of your shitty doctor. What was new, however, was living with your partner.

Corbeau worried about you more than anyone ever had before, that’s exactly why you didn’t want him to see you like this. He’d dote on you all day, call out, skip meetings that were definitely more important—

You couldn’t focus on that right now. Dropping the duster, your shaking arms reached back to feel for the nearby couch, and once you felt it you let yourself finally crumble into the far too familiar position, a remedy you’d been taught at one of many appointments. Head between your knees, hands clasped together around the back of your neck.

You tried to close your eyes, relax, wait for the spinning to subside. You didn’t account for the door clicking open, and the man you’d been thinking about walking through the door for his lunch break. Living in a suite on the top floor of the syndicate had its benefits, the proximity meant he rarely packed food, minus some snacks in his desk, mostly for other staff, unless he couldn’t afford to pull away from his work for a moment.

“Hey, I’m on my lunch now—“ you could tell the second he saw you by the way his voice softened, “—what’s wrong, darling?” his footsteps got louder as he neared you. Fast clicks filled with worry. He hadn’t even taken his shoes off.

“‘s okay, I’m just dizzy,” you reassured, but judging by the gentle caress of his hand in your hair, you could tell he wasn’t quite convinced.

You heard the sound of him unhooking his satchel from his belt, dropping it to the floor, and then he must’ve kneeled in front of you, because his cold hands cupped your face from a low angle.

“Does that happen often?” He asked, putting the back of one hand to your forehead soothingly. The chill of it felt good, like a cold cloth.

“Yeah, don’t know why, doctor doesn’t either,” you sighed, “promise ‘m fine though, used to it.” The words came out a bit slurred, as they tended to when you got like this.

“There’s a difference between being used to the way it is, and it being fine. You shouldn’t have to feel like this.” He stood, leaned down to grab something from his satchel, then you felt the couch sink beside you. “Here, drink this, then lie down,” he instructed, “I’ll be right here to see to it that you get proper care.”

“But’cha gotta go back to work soon…” you argued, “your job is important…”

“So are you. I promise Philippe can handle the rest of the day,” he combatted, pressing the mouth of his metal water bottle to your lips, “have some water, then you’re gonna lie down until you’re feeling better.”

“Bossy,” you teased, but obeyed, sipping as much of the water as you could tolerate.

“You love it,” he chuckled, pushing hair out of your face.

You flopped into his lap gracelessly, like a magikarp on land. “Maybe I do,” you laughed.

“Then do as I say,” his voice held no real authority, more a soft, lulling tone, “rest now, love.”

“Mmkay…” you mumbled, letting out a contented sigh as he massaged your scalp.

-

Blinking yourself awake slowly, you stirred in confusion for a moment, why’d you nap on the couch?

The memory of your dizzy spell was slowly coming back, though thankfully the spell itself had subsided, then you heard a faint noise from above.

A snore?

Finally looking up, the sight was enough to make you giggle. The big bad boss of the Rust Syndicate hadn’t moved an inch, a man of his word, but he had fallen asleep. His mouth hung open, head cocked to the side, drool building at the corner. His glasses were far from their intended position, nearly falling off entirely, and his hair was messed up in the back from the static cling of the couch. Not to mention, his jacket was entirely missing, and only then did you realize the ‘blanket’ you were tucked into wasn’t a blanket at all.

You gently took his glasses off of his face, careful not to wake him, then you set them on the nearby arm of the couch before getting comfortable again, tucking the jacket back around yourself. The world could wait for the two of you to rest, and the city you both vowed to protect was plenty safe under Philippe’s watchful eye. Besides, if it was really important he’d call your…actually quite far away Rotom Phone, and Corbeau’s was likely silenced from work…well, if it was urgent, he’d use the spare key his loyal klefki held, and he’d probably laugh at the position you two were in. He always did tell you that no one softened his headstrong boss quite like you.