Duchess walked into the lab, her pointed metallic feet clinking against the tile floor with each step. She hopped onto a chair, then onto the nearby table.
The professor was facing away from the open doorway, having already started busying herself with something on the table against the far wall. The woman grumbled as she moved items back and forth; if she had heard the Magearna come in, she didn’t acknowledge her.
“Of all the insults!” Pearwood muttered to herself. ”After all the support I’ve given her! How dare she come to my lab and treat me in such a way!”
Duchess scowled. “Yeah,” she interjected, putting her hands on her hips before sarcastically adding, “The nerve of her for trying to have a relationship with her mother!”
The professor spun around, her eyes wide for only a brief moment. “Oh,” she said, her eyes narrowing as she quickly regained her composure. “Now you’re getting on my case.”
The Magearna raised an eyebrow. “Huh, kinda thought you’d be more surprised that I could actually talk.”
Professor Pearwood shrugged. “While a Pokemon learning a human tongue is indeed a rare occurrence, it’s not unheard of. Such a thing hardly fazes me.” She turned around and resumed her busywork, seeming to think the conversation over.
“Gee,” Duchess replied, crossing her arms, “Then that makes it even weirder that you didn’t trust your own daughter when she told you about it.”
The woman did not respond as she continued her task.
Duchess jumped off the table and walked over next to the professor. Looking up at the woman, she asked, “What’s your deal, anyway? It sounds like Anjou just wants to reconnect with a mom she hasn’t seen in years. Why can’t you - ?”
The professor dropped her work and turned to face the Magearna, angrily interrupting. “That was a private conversation!”
“Not at those volumes, it wasn’t!” the automaton countered.
“Nevertheless,” Pearwood said, holding up a finger, “This matter is none of your business, so just stay out of it!”.
Duchess put her hands on her hips again. “Hey, if you’re gonna be a jerk to my friend, I’ll make it my business!” She pointed at the professor. “Besides, even if I hadn’t overheard that garbage fire in your office earlier, I’ve seen the way you treat Anjou on a daily basis. You ignore her, interrupt her, and disparge her work when she does things wrong because of your vague instructions. And that’s only if you deem her important enough to talk to in the first place!”
The professor’s expression grew angrier. “Don’t presume to lecture me on my shortcomings!” she said, picking up a stack of paperwork before adding, “As a boss, or as a mother.”
“What I just described aren’t the actions of either of those things,” Duchess said, narrowing her eyes, “They’re the actions of a coward and a bully, who cares more about her work than she does her own family.”
Pearwood started to open her mouth, but quickly shut it. Her face reddened as she threw down the stack of papers and swiftly headed for the exterior door.
“Ooh, did that one sting?” Duchess mocked as she followed the woman outside. “Did I manage to bruise the ego of the great Professor Pearwood?”
The professor stopped and spun around, her expression furious. “You would do well to stop provoking me, or else - “
“Or else what?” the mechanical Pokemon interrupted, defiantly crossing her arms. “You’re gonna fire me? You’re gonna ground me? I don’t answer to you, lady! I can call you out on your crummy actions all I want.”
“Perhaps,” Professor Pearwood said coldly, “You can be made to listen to me.” She pulled out a pokeball and held it threateningly.
Duchess narrowed her eyes as she glared at the woman. “You wouldn’t dare!”
The professor threw the pokeball - not at Duchess, but at the ground. A lopunny appeared, wearing a plain cyan medical diaper and a silver charm bracelet. The rabbit Pokemon looked back and forth between the professor and the Magearna, but said nothing.
“Fight me!” Pearwood exclaimed, her gaze fiercely focused on Duchess.
“Oh, huh,” the Magearna said as she eyed the new Pokemon. Rubbing the back of her head, she looked back at the professor. “Not gonna lie, I thought you were, like, threatening to catch me or something…”
The professor looked insulted at the accusation. “What? Of course not! To capture a sentient being like that, without their consent - that would be tantamount to slavery!”
“Um, that is literally slavery,” Duchess replied flatly, her eyes half-lidded.
“Besides,” Pearwood added, “I’d need a master ball to do that, and I’m not about to spend the only one I have.”
The Magearna crossed her arms indignantly, “Hey, I’m totally worth using a master ball on!” She then put a hand to her chin. “Wait...”
“Fight me!” Professor Pearwood repeated. “We can settle this now! If I defeat you, you will stop interfering with my and my daughter’s affairs!”
Duchess considered for a moment. “Not beating the ‘bully’ allegations…” she muttered to herself. She then looked the professor in the eye. “Okay, you know what? Fine, I’ll battle. But if I win, you need to sit down and talk to Anjou for real; no interrupting, no shouting, no ego - just honest listening.”
“It’s a deal!” Pearwood said with a nod. “Now - “
“Wait!” the fairy Pokemon held up her hand.
“What?” the professor asked, annoyed.
Duchess waved to the Lopunny that was to be her opponent. “Hey, I’m Duchess, and I just want you to know that there’s no hard feelings here - even if you are batting for the wrong team right now.”
The lopunny smiled and waved back, but again said nothing.
“Uh, what’s with the silent treatment?” Duchess asked, “Delcatty got your tongue?”
“That’s Angelys,” Pearwood explained, “She’s mute; has been since birth.”
Angelys nodded in agreement.
“Oh, uh, my bad..." the Magearna said with a sheepish grin.
Professor Pearwood held up a hand. “Let's begin already!” She pushed the sleeve of her labcoat back, revealing a white bracelet; she pressed a button on it.
One of the charms hanging on Angelys’ bracelet started to glow. The Lopunny soon became engulfed in swirling rainbow energy.
“Oh you’re gonna Mega-Evolve, huh?” Duchess muttered. “Well, two can play at that game!” The painted Magearna held out her hand, siphoning a stream of energy off of the vortex surrounding her opponent. Soon, she herself had become enveloped in the same multicolor glow.
“Fascinating…” the professor thought aloud as she witnessed the spectacle.
All at once, the energy surrounding both Pokemon dissipated, leaving both in their Mega forms.
Angelys stuck her arm in the air, striking a dramatic pose.
Duchess looked herself up and down, touching one of the floating silver half-gears surrounding her. “Sweet! I didn’t know if that would actually work or not!”
“That’s quite a remarkable feat you’ve performed there.” Pearwood observed. “Where’s your Mega Stone?”
The painted Mega Magearna smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know!” Her eyes suddenly widened; she looked down. “Wait, did my diaper somehow get thicker, too?” The fluffy cloth garment seemed to possibly be bulkier than before, but Duchess couldn’t be sure.
“Well, then,” the professor said, pointing ahead of her. “Let’s open with Power-up Punch.”
Angelys nodded, then started bounding toward the opposing Pokemon.
Duchess held out her right arm, opening it up to reveal a cannon. “Yeah, well, eat a -”
The Magearna was cut off by a solid punch to the face from Angelys. The Lopunny’s fist briefly flashed with a dark red aura.
“Ow! Hey!” Duchess said indignantly. She shook her head and resumed where she had left off. “Tri Attack!”
A swirling helix of cyan, yellow, and orange energy shot out of the cannon, hitting Angelys squarely in the stomach. The Mega Lopunny let out a raspy wheeze as she fell backwards, landing on her butt. She winced as her diaper started puffing out and discoloring between her legs.
“Oh yeah, direct shot!” Duchess exclaimed, pumping her cannon arm.
“Hmm, it appears that hit struck her abnormally hard,” the professor noted. She then called to her Pokemon, “Shake it off, Angelys. You can do this!”
The Lopunny nodded, clutching her belly as she shakily stood back up.
“Hey, Beth!” Duchess shouted from across the battlefield.
Professor Pearwood looked taken aback. “Excuse me?!”
The Magearna continued, “So, like, do you even love your daughter?”
Pearwood scoffed. “What kind of a question is that? Of course I love her!”
“I dunno,” Duchess went on, “with the way you’ve been treating her, it kinda looks like the opposite, to an outside observer.”
The professor pointed again. “Angelys, use Iron Tail.”
The Mega Lopunny nodded as she again ran up to Duchess.
“Oh, now you’re ignoring me, eh?” The Mageaerna crossed her arms, her eyes closed. “Face it, you’re just bitter that I’m calling you out on your bullsh- Oof!”
Angelys had slammed her soaked, squishy butt into Duchess’ face; the Lopunny’s cotton tail, covered in a metallic sheen, made a sharp clang as it impacted the clockwork Pokemon.
Duchess rubbed her face as she stood back up. “Right, I’m still battling,” she muttered to herself. She put her metal arms together and rapidly rubbed them back and forth, causing them to emit an unpleasant grating tone.
Pearwood and Angelys both covered their ears; the latter doubled over, clutching her belly as the already puffy seat of her diaper bulged out. A thick stink filled the battlefield.
Duchess smirked. “Oh wow, Metal Sound doesn’t usually cause other Pokemon to do that.”
Professor Pearwood rubbed her head, then looked over at the opposing Pokemon. “Why are you doing this? Why fight for my daughter in such a fashion? You barely even know her!”
The fairy shrugged. “I dunno, maybe I just don’t like seeing someone get mistreated by their own family.” She then pointed at the professor. “By the way, how long ago did she say you left? It sounds to me like you barely even know her!”
Pearwood’s face reddened. She turned to her Pokemon. “Angelys, use Iron Tail again!”
Angelys nodded as she complied.
Duchess aimed her cannon at the approaching Lopunny. “Fleur Cannon!” she announced as she fired off a shot of pink energy.
Angelys, in attempting to butt-bomb the Magearna again, jumped a little too far to the right, simultaneously sailing past the mythical Pokemon and avoiding the oncoming attack.
The professor ducked as the blast of energy sizzled the air right around where her head had been. “Watch what you’re doing!’ she angrily yelled.
“Oops, that woulda been bad,” Duchess muttered. She then said more loudly, “Sorry!”
Pearwood snorted, then crossed her arms.“I’m providing the best I can for her, you know! My research is what’s paying her bills, her tuition! She doesn’t appreciate what I do for her!”
“Oh yeah?” the Magearna replied, “How’s she supposed to appreciate anything you do if you don’t spend any time with her? Right now you’re not sounding much like a mom, or even a person! You just sound like a disconnected paycheck to me!” Duchess looked the professor in the eye. “Is that all you ever want to be to her? Just a name attached to money?”
The professor’s eyes widened. She spluttered, but said nothing.
Angelys, still shaking off the dizziness from her missed move, was sprawled on the ground. Duchess walked up to her and started charging her cannon arm with pink energy.
“Psssh, nothin’ personal, kid,” the Magearna said as she took direct aim at the Lopunny’s head. “Fleur - “
Professor Pearwood regained her composure. She quickly cut in with a shout to her Pokemon “Angelys, you’re weak to that move! Dodge with Bounce!”
Angelys instantly sprang to her feet, then up into the air, far above the battlefield. The opposing Magearna’s cannon blast fired right into the ground.
Dang it! Duchess thought, I’ve got to stop announcing my attacks like that! She then turned back to the professor. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe Anjou would rather have someone to share her interests with, someone to talk to and bond with, than all that money you’re sending home?”
Pearwood lowered her gaze, opting not to respond.
Angelys came rushing back down, attempting to land on Duchess; the robotic Pokemon merely sidestepped the furry projectile, causing her to land right next to her.
“Use Bounce again,” Pearwood called, her gaze still facing downward, her voice a little weaker than before.
The Mega Lopunny sprang back into the sky, narrowly avoiding a shot of silver energy from the Magearna’s cannon.
“Are you happy?” Duchess asked as she looked right at the professor, attempting to make eye contact, “Like, do you feel fulfilled? If you beat me, and leave things with Anjou the way they are right now, is that something you have a good feeling about going forward?”
Professor Pearwood looked back up. “My research is all the fulfillment I need! I don’t need her, or my husband, or anyone else interfering with it! As long as I’m doing my work and making sure my family is cared for, I have everything I need!” Her tone was pained, her expression unsure.
“Is that really how you feel?” Duchess narrowed her eyes. She put one hand on her hip, pointing with the other. “Or is that just a lie you tell yourself to justify a bad decision? One that you’re too far into now, and too stubborn to admit you were wrong about?”
“I - Of - of course I’m right! I’ve never been more sure!” Pearwood responded, completely lacking her usual composure.
Angelys dropped from the sky with tremendous force, her full, heavy diaper butt directly impacting Duchess in the head. The Lopunny quickly hopped off of her opponent, who was now sprawled on her back, moaning in pain.
Duchess' eyes started to close as she kept talking to the professor. “Then... remember that when you finally drive her away,” the Mega Magearna rasped out, “and you’re left alone in an empty lab.” She groaned before adding, “Maybe... for good this time...” Her eyes finished closing; her body reverted to its regular form as she fainted.
Angelys stood proudly, her hands posed on her hips. She then did a little victory dance, before looking excitedly at her trainer. Her expression quickly fell, growing more concerned as she looked at the woman.
Professor Pearwood’s face was buried in her hands as she sobbed uncontrollably.
