I was out of the bath pretty quickly, dried and wrapped in a huge, plush robe.  Malva was back in her ball and tucked in my pocket while I sat next to Chloe on the same large couch the two of them had sat on last night.  She was leaning back into the corner, daintily sipping a mimosa and resting her heels in my lap.  I shivered a little, the combination of her warmth and her wonderful scents leaving me wholly captivated as she looked me over.

“Lucy, you know you’re a very important girl, don’t you?” She began, and I grinned in reply and nodded.  She thought I was important, and that made me want to squeal.

“You’re the Champion, darling, and you must know that your voice carries tremendous weight.  There was a parade for you more than once, so when you join us for a special event and speak on our behalf, people are going to listen to you.  They’re going to trust you.”

I blinked a few times, not really certain where she was going with her line of thought, but I continued to enjoy feeling so important to her.  I wasn’t sure when I started, but I found myself gently massaging her stockinged soles while she continued to speak.

“Do you remember what Team Flare’s ultimate goal was, little one?”  She took another little sip of her drink, and I think I might have forgotten to speak for a while, just staring at her perfect mouth.

“Oh!  Oh, well, they mostly they wanted to, umm, create a beautiful and better world and they also took a whole bunch of money.  Somehow wiping out all the people and Pokemon with Yveltal’s power and a big, old machine were supposed to help?  I don’t really know, I didn’t really pay a whole lot of attention…”

I was distracted again by Chloe’s majestic toes.  My fingers nimbly caressed and squeezed them, doing their absolute best to give them pleasure.  Her stockings were of the richest silk, and I wanted to lean in closer, feel that soft smoothness against my face, revel in their warm scent…

Chloe cleared her throat, shattering my reverie.  I looked up at her, and was mortified to see her seeming perhaps the faintest bit displeased.  “You wiped out Lysander and nearly destroyed our organization and you didn’t even really know what we were?”

I wilted a little, bowing my head in true shame.  I should’ve familiarized myself with them more, should’ve watched all the Holocasts and listened to all the stylish grunts who tried to battle me along the way to the places I wanted to go.  “I’m sorry,” I murmured while grimacing, keeping my head down and my eyes on her feet.  I didn’t move or speak as one of those immaculate feet rose towards me, her toes slipping beneath my chin and turning my head upwards to look her in the eye.

“It’s okay, pet.  These things happen.”  She was smiling again, and I was forgiven.  I dipped my head a little and pulled back enough to press a long, loving kiss to the ball of her foot, burying my nose beneath her toes and allowing myself to savor the luscious scents that lingered there.  I  don’t know what was so alluring about her lovely feet, but she thoroughly enjoyed my fascination with them and that was enough to make me happy.  “But remember, the reason Lysander wanted to wipe out everything was to remove competition for resources, and we’re going to accomplish the same goal in a wonderfully nonviolent way with the Flare Ball, and you’re going to help with that.”

I perked up a bit, placing another little kiss on the tip of her biggest toe as I did.  “I’ll do what I can, I guess, but I only have Malva and you helped me with her.  Will it be easy to capture more people?”  It felt tremendously strange to say as I thought about what that meant.  Taking everyday people and capturing them, trapping them in balls and taking them away from their  lives.  I suddenly felt strangely uneasy, and it must have showed on my face because Chloe was quick to reassure me.

“Oh, sweetheart, you’re not going to be out capturing people.  That just wouldn’t be practical at all.  Slippers,” she added as a brief aside, but I was swiftly sliding from the couch and fetching her knit boots, then dropping to my knees to tug them onto her feet.  She continued to speak to me as I worked.

“First we’ll have a grand census, and you will speak at events and on Holocasts emphasizing the importance of registering.  People from every city and area in Kalos will be recorded, along with all the members of their family, and from this information we’ll be able to compile a database of every resident.”

I paused for a little, bending down to place another gentle kiss on the top of Chloe’s slipper, and then my head shot up and I beamed with pride.  “Like a Pokedex!”

She laughed and shrugged, but after a moment more she gave a little nod.  “You could think of it like that, I suppose.  Once we have everyone tagged, though, it’ll be easy enough to move through in one large sweep.  We have enough balls manufactured to contain the population twice over, and enough loyal grunts to move through every house in one night.  We just need everyone’s trust for one brief moment, darling,” she purred, leaning forward and taking my head in her soft, warm hands.  “You’ll get the people’s trust for us, won’t you?”

Of course I would.  What wouldn’t I do for her?  I nodded slowly, knowing how important this was, and she patted my head and smiled.  “Good girl,” she sighed, then gave me a little nudge with her foot.  “Now, go get dressed.  You need to look presentable, so we’re going shopping.”

Whatever else I'd been thinking about instantly evaporated with thoughts of the Lumiose boutique.  Surely we'd be going there, as I've never seen someone so stylish as Chloe.  I'd never been inside myself, but if I was her guest... oh, the wonders!  Would I wear the same spectacular styles she did?  Even to touch them...

"Lucy," she sighed, tapping my nose with her finger.  "Go get ready."

I squealed softly and scurried to my feet, running to gather the embarrassingly soiled garments I'd worn the other day, and Chloe gracefully rose to her feet and headed towards her room, plucking a ball from her pocket as she walked.  "Come, Shauna," she breathed, summoning the young girl from within in a little flash of light.  "Let's get dressed."

I turned slightly while pulling at and adjusting my dress, watching Shauna smile sweetly and follow at her heels like some stupid obedient dog.  I hated her for a second, just... overwhelming hatred that I don't know where it came from, but I tried to remember that she was my friend and we all were Chloe's, so it had to be okay for them to share that moment, that intimate moment of helping her dress for the day, touching her fantastic garments, her amazing skin...

I guess I wasn't quite ready to let it go.  I'm the Champion, and she's nobody.  That should be me in there.