A Study in Mega Evolution

Epilogue Four; Found Family

Corina walked into the Devon labs with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. She began to sort through the files on the desk, humming a little tune to herself.

"What has you so happy today, Corina?" She turned to see the head lab tech looking up at her, her goggles up over her eyes, leaving red marks on her light brown cheeks. Her pale pink hair was tied up in its usual long ponytail, long and silky.

"Oh, hi, Colette. My Dad is coming to visit today! I'm giving him a tour of the company, then showing him the rest of the city!" Corina grinned, leaning with her back against the counter.

"Well, that's exciting! You're from Lumiose City, right?"

"Yeah! We never left the city very often, so this will be his first time coming to see Rustboro City."

"Here, Corina, can you help me out here for a minute?" Colette beckoned, and the young woman stepped over to help, putting on her pair of goggles. "Here, I need you to keep these wires in place while I run a quick diagnostic."

Corina nodded and grabbed tweezers, doing as she was instructed. "How are your sons doing? They're living here in Rustboro still, right?"

"You don't have to say "still" like that, Corina. Not everyone can miraculously be mentored by Steven Stone at seventeen years old like you." Colette teased. "They're good. Keeping me as busy as ever. Otto keeps challenging his father to battles when he can. He's on his journey right now."

"That's wonderful. Maybe Alain would like to train with him sometime."

"Otto would love that. How are the two of you doing? Long-distance must be pretty tough this early in the relationship."

"Yeah, it's not great. I miss him a lot. But we make sure to call each other often enough. Even though our jobs keep us busy, they also allow us to travel a lot, so we can visit each other, or even meet up somewhere if we want to."

"Yes, I suppose being the Kalos Champion and being Steven Stone's assistant gives the two of you a bit of wiggle room in that area. My husband and I had a hard time starting together." Colette input the last few tests and sat back. "All right, all set." Corina took off her goggles and sat back as well.

Just then, the lab doors opened, and someone stepped through. Corina smiled. "Dad!" She rushed over and wrapped him in a big hug, and he hugged her back.

"Corina!"

"Did you find your way here, okay?"

"Well enough, your father isn't hopeless, you know." She stepped back from him.

"Oh, I wanted to introduce you!" She turned but paused when she saw the look on Colette's face. She appeared to be in shock and was standing up slowly.

"Alexandre?" Corina furrowed her eyebrows and turned to her father and saw his expression was the same.

"Colette...?"

"You two...know each other?"

Her father's eyes slowly turned to her. "Corina, do you not know who this is?" She shook her head. "Corina, this is your mother."

The world froze. Corina looked back and forth between the two of them, stunned, speechless. Her eyes went wide. "My mother like... like my mother?" she stammered. "No. No, no, no, no, no. That's not possible." Everyone stared at each other in disbelief. "No, no, this can't be happening."