Love in the Time of Trials

Chapter 1: A Hatching

"Clearly," the blonde woman drawled. She wasn't surprised; it hadn't left her mind, either. The portal to the Ultra Space...it was like an inexorable force that pulled on her mind. A smirk crossed over. They were close. Closer than ever before to dissecting and discovering that beautiful world. It made her giddy inside to feel that it was so close within her reach. "So beautiful..."

"Hm? You say something, Madam President?" Faba asked. Lusamine shook her head, her voluminous hair moving around with it. Giving off another wave to her employees, the woman and her branch manager stepped onto the elevator to carry them up to the very top floor of their manmade island.

Traveling upward, the duo began to pass through the shining windows. Lusamine breathed in, pressing her forehead against the cool glass. Dealing with people crying over her was annoying. Closing her eyes for a second, she felt she could hear a little girl crying for her, but she ignored it. She didn't need a wretched thought like that in her head when there was so much more to do. Her eyes snapped open once more and she looked out over the conservation area before glancing out to the sea beyond the Paradise. All her work. It was beautiful.

The elevator rolled to its stop, opening out on the pure white walkway that led to the mansion on the top floor. Heaving a slight sigh, she pulled her head away from the glass and proceeded ahead of the goatee-stroking scientist with her. Her heels clicked and clopped against the walkway as the sun streamed down on her figure. Some milling gardeners and Pokémon were about the garden out front, waving to her like those below. She never could have imagined how happy they were to see her, but it hardly mattered very much. Nor did the woman in front of her mansion, to be honest, but she still appreciated her efforts.

"Welcome back, Madam Lusamine," the woman said, her bushy hair jiggling a bit as she bowed. Lusamine dismissed the greeting, striding past the woman. "How was the trip to Heahea? Informative?"

"Very," Lusamine answered, striding up to the doors and pushing them open with both her hands. Faba and the woman both followed after her as she stepped into the foyer, breathing in. "Were there any messages while I was out, Wicke?"

"Yes, there was one," Wicke answered, but she didn't elaborate on what it was about. Lusamine didn't need the answer; she already had a decent idea of what it was about, deciding to return it later. Running a hand through her hair, she made her way towards her office, only to stop at its threshold.

Screaming pain entered her head for a second and she felt her heartbeat double...no, triple. There was a haze, flashes of red. A hand was reaching out as it screamed into inky blackness. And those eyes...those eyes... "Stop it...stop looking...at me...like that..."

"Madam President!" Faba's voice was heard, but she waved him off violently.

"Did she have any episodes in Heahea?"

"None at all...which is quite the surprise, considering..." There was a loud noise, almost like a shuffling around in the desk nearby. Hurried footsteps followed and Lusamine could see that Wicke's feet were in front of her, even with the haze in her mind. In the woman's hands were two blue pills.

"Madam Lusamine, you need to take your medicine," Wicke told her insistently. The eyes still hovered in front of her face pleadingly. It was almost taunting, the way they wanted to break through.

"No...I'm doing this for you, too. Can't you see that?" she whispered. Wicke's hand wavered a second, but then she continued to be quite insistent in pushing the blue pills forward. The sight of them repulsed Lusamine and she slapped the hand away, sending the medicine down to the floor. "I'm fine! Get that away from me!"

"S-sorry..." Wicke mumbled apologetically. The pain vanished from her, finally, and Lusamine realized she was on the ground, knees touching it as her dress traveled up her thigh. Realizing where she was, the woman picked herself up with grace and faced Wicke with a smile.