CYOA 2 – To The Victor Go The Spoils – Chapter 25: Secrets (Patreon)

Last time: Hanzo had some fun with Cole while being directed by Reinhardt. It was very satisfying yet unsatisfying for him. He also fought his brother – and won. He even got a Pokémon evolution as a prize.

Content/warning: Mild sexual coercion

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Lúcio glances over when he hears Hanzo’s satisfied little hum. “Good news?”

They’re just on the outskirts of Lumiose City but they’ve already seen more people walking past them than they had seen during the entire time of their travels it feels like. Akkala Island hadn’t been sleepy exactly, being a tourist vacation, but the whole atmosphere had been… different.

It’s quite a culture shock, especially with Prism Tower having been looming in the distance for quite some time.

“Yes. Cole will let a new headcollar come my way.” The old one already had been a bit tight what with King having grown quite a bit but after his evolution there is no thinking of trying to use it again.

Hanzo looks over to King positively strutting next to him. He’s let him out of his ball as soon as they had climbed off of Zeus just to admire him. They’re pulling quite a few stares. Hanzo would lie if he said he weren’t enjoying them… and that King loves the attention is very obvious in itself.

“Great. I hope it’ll come in soon… Lumiose is huge and King would be a really convenient way to get around.”

.oOo.

Hanzo had not really thought it possible for a place to be even bigger and busier than Goldenrod, but it turns out that Lumiose has it beat by a mile.

There are so many colorful stalls put up along the sides of the cobbled streets that he wonders whether they’ve come in on the tail end of some festival… or maybe it is just about to begin?

While the attention outside the City had been pretty exciting, inside with buildings looming left and right and cars and bikes making their honking way through the streets, he feels anxiety starting to gnaw on his insides once more.

At least he can both identify it as well as understand that it is not stemming from an uncertainty regarding his own abilities but from simply being overwhelmed. This rationalization helps in pushing the nervous flutter of his heart into a more manageable rhythm.

Lúcio and King, meanwhile, seem to absolutely flourish in the atmosphere. Politoed picks up on it as well, bouncing higher as it keeps continuously dancing around Lúcio’s legs.

“This place is awesome! I’d wanted to get here for a while now but it’s even better than I thought! You know what? I should put my music out there. See what’ll happen, right? There are tons of people around and all…”

Hanzo had almost forgotten about why Lúcio was moving around with him – other than for the company. He’s not just in for it for the experience, he has his own goal as well… and Hanzo has not done much yet to support him in his own quest, he realizes.

“We could… see whether there is an avenue left for you to put up a stall of your own,” he hazards. Lúcio is looking about with a mild frown on his face and eventually shakes his head.

“No… mmhhh look, how about we split up and meet again later? You go see the gym leader and I check out my stuff.”

“Are you certain? I do not mind assisting you, in fact-”

“Nah, nah. Don’t worry, man; I just gotta think about it, check out the vibes around here. It’ll be fine. You could treat me to lunch later?” Lúcio’s grin is as easy going as always, putting Hanzo at ease. He nods, slightly bowing out of sheer habit. “That, I can do. Very well – I will text you once I am done.”

“Sure thing! Good luck!”

“To you as well, my friend.”

.oOo.

It’s not difficult at all to find Lumiose City’s gym, though he’s almost forgotten that it is in the tower at all after having been able to stare at it for so long.

King’s hoofs make a hypnotic clacking sound against the pavement as they walk, taking up the sound of nobody talking now that Lúcio and he have separated for the moment.

The base of the Prism Tower is teeming with even more people. There are groups of tourists wearing backpacks and listening to their guide while staring up at the glittering structure in awe. There are food stalls that fill the air with an aroma that reminds Hanzo of the street fairs in Hanamura. He absentmindedly rubs his chest as the sweet ache of homesickness starts to emerge.

He’s been gone for so long…

To cut off the rising gloom right from the beginning, Hanzo shuffles a little closer to the group of tourists, listening in to the explanation of their tour guide.

“...for quite some time now. However, upon previous reservations, the Tower staff still offers rides up to the very top which have been booked out months in advance. The City of Lumiose is still in conversations with the resident gym leader to slowly reintroduce Prism Tower to the populace and allow it for commercial access, but they have been loath to push the issue too much. While Lumiose City has a grand and deep history, it also straddles the chasm toward top technological advancements thanks to the efforts of our scientists also residing within this very structure…”

Hanzo zones back out, looking up the tower once more with somewhat new eyes. He had known about the gym in there, of course, but not about a scientific facility. He can imagine that those two alone would make for quite the traffic alone… having tourists mixed in would certainly be distracting.

King’s soft grunt and a nose to Hanzo’s shoulder pulls him out of his thoughts. He puts his hand on King’s forehead, giving it a distracted pet, then nods. “You’re right. Let us just have a quick look and a talk with the gym leader and then meet back up with Lúcio. He has been very helpful to us, I would like to pay him back for his thoughtfulness somehow.”

King grunts again, the warm brush of air blowing Hanzo’s hair back a little. He does not look too pleased that Hanzo calls him back into his pokéball but he does not think that a Rapidash is allowed free roam in Prism Tower.

He makes sure one last time that his clothes are in order before he marches toward the automatic doors leading into Lumiose City’s greatest attraction.

.oOo.

Hanzo is fascinated by the sleek, mechanic designs of the interior… but even more so by the surprising lack of people around. In fact, he can feel his skin breaking out in goosebumps as he gets the sudden feeling of trespassing. Maybe he should step back out…?

There isn’t even anybody sitting behind what he assumes to be the front desk. He turns, peering behind himself out of the glass door. There are still throngs of people outside though the sound of their voices has been all but completely cut out.

It’s… eerie. He is just about to step out again when a voice suddenly talks to him. It is deep and sounds very tired… or maybe annoyed.

“How may I help you?”

Hanzo looks around again though he can’t see anybody.

“Ex…cuse me?”

“Do you have an appointment?”

There’s rustling of paper to be heard. It slowly dawns on Hanzo that he’s being talked to via an overhead system. Knowing that he’s being watched over invisible cameras makes him feel even more self-conscious.

Before he can reply that no, he does not have an appointment, the rustling of paper suddenly stops and the man says with excitement yet stumbling over his own words: “Oh! Oh it’s you! Wonderful, wonderful. Uh… uh would you just step through here please? I’ll open the door…”

True to his words, Hanzo can hear a door opening. Looking around he can’t see where the sound came from but the voice overhead is urging him along. “Go on then; just round the front desk, there’s an elevator behind it.”

Hanzo moves haltingly. “You… have been expecting me?”

“Uh yes, yes, of course! That is ah… I had not realized what day it is today but… it does not matter. Everything has been prepared beforehand and been waiting for you. We don’t get many uh volunteers.”

Hanzo can feel a chill crawling up his spine as the doors of the elevators close behind him on these words and a smooth and fast ascent begins. Volunteers? What is that supposed to mean?

“I admit I do not understand. I had not previously announced my arrival. I simply wish to speak to the gym leader.”

The elevator stops again and the door opens back up. After a second of uncertainty, Hanzo steps outside into the hallway beyond. Here, too, no human soul can be seen. There’s only the barest of lights on, no window showing that outside just a few minutes ago the sun had been shining quite friendly.

Above him, he can hear the rustling of papers again. It takes an inordinate amount of time for the man on the other end to pipe up once more: “Hmm… hm. Hm. Okay uh… what? Did you… say something? The microphones in the elevator are off at the moment. Need to find new maintenance staff uh… Yes. Sorry. If you would please step into the room to your right?”

Hanzo frowns, unsure if he’s being lied to or not. His hand moves toward the pokéballs on his belt. He is debating letting Kikuri out just for some moral support of the ‘breaking things first and asking later’ mentality that she exudes just in case there is a… trap behind that door. Whatever that might look like. This whole experience is becoming stranger by the minute, after all.

The room beyond said door is suitably normal looking. Kind of like a dressing room, really with a clothes hanger against one side of the wall. The other side is made up of a large glass pane that allows view into the next room. It immediately reminds him of what he thinks interrogation rooms to look like. Bristling, he stands there, waiting for the mysterious man to pipe back up which he does soon enough.

“Right. Wonderful. Thank you again for your contribution. I would like to conduct some tests without any of the gear first, so I have something to gauge your reaction against uh… yeah. Okay. If you’d get naked now?”

Hanzo’s back stiffens, insides doing a weird little twist; like his body is instinctively getting excited by those words. How far the mighty have fallen…

“Excuse me?” he asks in an icy voice. There’s a pause from above, not even the rustling of papers to be heard. Eventually the man talks again, though he sounds even less sure than before with all his nervous bumbling.

“If you would please… get naked? So we can begin the tests?”

Hanzo crosses his arms, willing his heart to stop pounding so fast and excited. “What tests? I am not here to be some kind of… lab rat.”

The silence following that is deafening. When the man speaks again, his voice is very faint, like he’s about to pass out: “You are not here for the study on human reaction to Pokémon attacks?”

Hanzo barely has his face in order. To be honest, this sounds absolutely insane.

“No.”

“Oh.”

There’s another silence before the man mutters: “I am terribly sorry, it seems there has been a mix-up.”

“It does seem that way,” Hanzo replies dryly.

“W-What are you… what are you here for, then?”

Hanzo exhales through clenched teeth, his confusion making way for a good bit of annoyance. “As I’ve said earlier in the elevator-”

“-the elevator communication is broken,” the man mutters softly; Hanzo simply ignores that and continues: “-I wish to speak to the City’s gym leader.”

Again there is quiet before the the man says in a strained, barely audible whisper: “You are speaking to him.”

He sounds how Hanzo feels most of the time: like he sorely wishes he were anywhere else but where he is right now. Hanzo exhales harshly.

“You? I thought you were a scientist!”

“But I am!”

Hanzo drags his hand down his face, trying to regain his composure. “I am… sorry. Maybe we should start this over. Could we talk?”

“We are talking.”

“I meant face-to-face,” Hanzo replies, trying and somewhat failing not to sound exasperated.

“No.”

Hanzo’s face falls before he can help it. The refusal has hit him by surprise, leaving him struggling to find something to say other than a choked: “Why?”

“W-Well it is j-just that-”

“Hanzo! There he is! Uncle, that’s the guy I’ve been telling you about! He looks cute, doesn’t he?”

The sudden high-pitched voice chirping over the intercom is like hammers in Hanzo’s skull. He has trouble placing it at first, his whole body seemingly refusing to accept that she would be here, now, for whatever diabolical reason.

He closes his eyes slowly, gathering himself while over the intercom he can only hear a vague mumbling that sounds once again like this man – Gym Leader Winston, if he was to be believed – would like to be anywhere else but where he is now.

“...Miss Song?” Hanzo finally breathes out. He leans back against the doorframe, listening to her sounding very smug as she replies: “Uh-huuuuh! Didn’t think we’d meet again so fast, hmn? Thought I’d let you off the hook? Didn’t I tell you I want a rematch? Because he cheated, Uncle Winston. He was a dirty little cheater who cheated me out of my pretty, shiny badge. Doesn’t that make you mad?”

“I… uh… that is… you… you should be alerting the Pokémon League if that is really…”

“Uncleeee! Don’t be such a spoilsport!”

“I have not cheated!” Hanzo can feel himself warming up from within with righteous rage that even drowns out the worried little voices in his head that have immediately started wondering just how much Hana has told this… Uncle of hers. “My victory was fair and square.”

“Nuh-uh! He sent his stupid Magikarp into a gym fight and evolved it!”

“Now, Hana, that is… that is not against rules.” Winston sounds decidedly nervous now. Hanzo has no idea where the two of them are hiding but he’s also not really in the mood to listen to their slapstick routine or to Miss Song’s baseless accusations just because she was a sore loser.

“I am sorry. Would it be possible now to speak face-to-face? I simply wanted to extend my greeting and announce that I will soon be looking for a match…”

“I am sorry, b-but… no-”

“You see, Uncle Winston is very shy. He went through great lengths getting the whole Tower emptied out so he could do his research in peace, you know.”

Hanzo frowns. Were all gym leaders just… nut cases in one way or another?

“Well then… how… are we supposed to do battle?”

“I really am not much of a fighting… man-” Winston says weakly. Hanzo has never met a gym leader so hellbent on trying to weasel themselves out of a fight.

“But how am I supposed to earn the badge, then?”

“Oh shut it, the both of you. Uncle just needs to get warm with you, right? I told him what a perfect little test subject you’ve been for me when we met and he was very interested. Why don’t you two boys just… sniff each other out a little, hm? Through some good and earnest science?”

Hanzo digs his heels in, his ears warm with embarrassment. “What exactly have you told your Uncle?”

“Don’t be like that. I haven’t told him about the extra juicy stuff.”

“J…Juicy?” Winston asks softly. He sounds like he is about to faint. Hanzo’s insides want to shrivel up and he cuts D.Va off before she can say God knew what.

“A compromise, Mister Winston.”

“Winston is completely fine…”

“I will be your test subject this afternoon and in return you will fight me in the near future. Tomorrow, maybe?”

“Ah… that is… that is a little sudden…”

Hanzo has to refrain the urge of scrubbing his hands over his face as he waits. Maybe Miss Song digs her elbow into her Uncle’s side or maybe he realizes that Hanzo will annoy him for quite some time to come if he doesn’t bow his head, but after a moment or two Winston concedes.

“It… does sound like a fair deal. And the test rooms are already prepared, so…” another awkward pause. “In that case. Would you please get naked?”

Hanzo bristles.

“No!”

“But-”

“I will undress to my underwear but not further.”

Winston sighs but in the background Hanzo can hear Miss Song giggling. It… does not bode well, he feels like.

.oOo.

Genji stares at his new badge in the palm of his hand. The old gym leader had assured him that he hadn’t seen anybody win it this fast and that he gave Genji almost the same tasks as his brother, but it still feels hollow somehow.

Hanzo had completely thrashed him the last time which did not sit well with him at all. He’s never lost to his brother; definitely not like this. It annoys him to no end.

What’s worse, Hanzo has a headstart on him now for getting the next badge.

Genji pulls out his phone, staring at the map for a while, scrolling through the options of gym leaders that he has. Which one could Hanzo have chosen? It’s pretty much impossible to tell.

In the end he chooses the one that is closest to his relative location.

“Zenyatta. Weird name. Whatever – I need to get past Hanzo again.”