After walking a bit further than Jason had expected or was prepared to walk, he and Korrina found themselves outside a building that stood out prominently among its surroundings. At a glance, it looked like a miniature coliseum—two primary stories tall with a pale, reddish-orange facade and tall, arched windows. A rustless, nearly three-meter-tall fence with pillars topped with blue spheres and lamps encircled its spacious perimeter, and within its enclosed grounds was well-kept grass, angular hedged shrubs, symmetrically planted shade trees, and tall, evenly spaced, tapered trees that reminded Jason of well-tended Italian Cypress but undoubtedly had a different name in the Pokémon world.
"This is the place! Welcome to the famed Battle Restaurant, Le Colisée Épicurien~!" exclaimed Korrina, stepping ahead of Jason, performing an abrupt spin, and raising her hands theatrically as if she were framing the restaurant behind her.
"Battle~!" chimed Ren, wiggling happily.
"I take it food isn't the only thing they serve here?" asked Jason, sporting an amused smile.
"That's right," confirmed Korrina, posing with her hands on her hips as she explained, "As the name implies, this is a place where you're able to enjoy delicious food as well as partake in high-level Pokémon battles. There are many places like this throughout Lumiose City and the Kalos Region as a whole, but Le Colisée Épicurien is the peak of Kalos cuisine and Pokémon battling fusion. Just to apply for a job here, you need to have first attained the rank of a Marquis or Marchioness at the Battle Chateau and held it for at least three years."
"Sounds expensive..." appended Jason, staring at the restaurant past Korrina with wide, thoughtful eyes. The name was unfamiliar to him, but after hearing Korrina's spirited endorsement, he began to feel a growing sense of pressure and foreboding.
"Oh, it's super expensive!" confirmed Korrina. "But if you're confident in your abilities, you can challenge your server to a Pokémon battle. If you beat them, that particular meal is free. And if you're able to complete the Full-Course Challenge, you receive a special prize and get to eat for free for a whole year~!"
"That certainly explains the strict requirements for employment..." Jason acknowledged. Then, as Korrina's spiritedness was beginning to attract a lot of attention, he smiled and asked, "Should we head inside?"
"Yes! Ren want! Battle~!" exclaimed Ren, excitedly raising her clenched paws in clear emulation of Korrina. She could only understand bits and pieces of what Jason and Korrina had been discussing, but she knew the word battle well and liked the latter's energy.
"Alright, but oooooonly if you behave~" hummed Korrina, leaning forward and wagging her finger playfully before spinning on her heel and gleefully leading the way. Just watching her made Jason feel tired, but the smile on his face made it apparent he wasn't at all bothered by Korrina's energy. In fact, he found it charming...
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'Wow, talk about excessive...' thought Jason, his eyes widening as he entered Le Colisée Épicurien shortly after Korrina. He expected it to be luxurious, but it completely surpassed his expectations. The ceiling was high up and adorned with yellow light fixtures that produced a radiance on par with natural light. The floor was covered in large, steel-grey tiles that were more than a meter across and polished to a near-mirror shine, and there were around twenty tables of various sizes, each covered in a pristine white tablecloth and circled by either expensive-looking wooden furniture or high-backed booths.
As impressive as the hall itself was, what caught Jason's attention more than anything else was the crystal-clear channel of water that parted the room down its center, leading to a circular, golden-railed fountain crested by a Blastoise statue that featured several other Water-type Pokémon. In the water were several lobster-like Corphish with their pincers bound, and lazing around the fountain's base were seven similarly sized Pokémon that Jason recognized as Vaporeon.
"Ah, Marchioness Korrina. What a pleasure it is to see you again. The Duke will be most pleased to hear that you've come~" expressed the Maître d, an elderly gentleman with kindly features and a well-pressed, ivory-white, gold-trimmed suit.
"It's good to see you as well, Duke Gregorio. And allow me to introduce you to my guests, Jason Springfield and his partner, Rennae~" hummed Korrina, gesturing to Jason and Ren.
"Welcome to Le Colisée Épicurien. It's a sincere pleasure to make your acquaintance..." expressed Gregorio, placing his white-gloved hand over his left breast and offering Jason and Ren a polite bow.
"Hello~!" chimed Ren, cheerfully raising her right paw in greeting.
"Oh? It would appear one of our guests is rather exceptional..." remarked Gregorio, raising his head and staring at Ren with slightly raised brows. It wasn't his first time meeting a Pokémon capable of communicating, but it was almost always through telepathy. And as far as he could tell, Ren was quite young.
"Both she and Jason are very hard-working. In a few years, I wouldn't be surprised if their names and faces are as well known as mine and Luca's ~" pealed Korrina, causing Gregorio's bushy white brows to perk even higher as he gave Jason a second, assessing look. At a cursory glance, he didn't feel there was anything especially remarkable about Jason—disregarding his height and build. But if Korrina was endorsing him with such fervor, he shouldn't be an ordinary man or Trainer.
"Then I look forward to serving them both regularly in the future," stated Gregorio, adopting a grandfatherly smile that couldn't conceal the telltale glimmer of a Pokémon Battle Connoisseur in his opaline eyes. Then, with his left hand and his head slightly bowed, he gestured to the restaurant's nearly emptied interior and added, "Now, it would be my pleasure to show the Marchioness and her guests to her usual table."
"Thank you. The Duke is too kind~" hummed Korrina, gesturing for Jason and Ren to follow as Gregorio led them to a small, four-person table near the back of the restaurant. There, their backpacks were stored under the table while Ren, as a Pokémon, was given a cushioned mat to sit on and a tall bowl of meaty, high-quality Pokémon food she eagerly devoured. If it were up to Jason, she would sit with them at the table in a high chair. But as Pokémon generally weren't permitted to dine directly alongside people for health and safety reasons, he had little choice but to allow her to finish her meal on the floor before she habitually curled up under his chair for a power nap...
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'Sweet Jesus, Mary, and Joseph...' Jason mused, his eyes widening and his pupils dilating as he perused the menu he had been given. Most of the names were written in French—colloquially known as the Kalosian dialect—but their descriptions were, thankfully, in English(Sinnohen). That aside, what shook him were the listed prices. One of the less expensive entrees, Magikarp en Papillotte, for example, was listed at a jarring ₽47,000. As for the most pricey, Suprême de Canard Farfetch'd Sauvage, it would tank his finances by ₽414,000—more than he earned in a month.
"You don't need to worry about the cost~" hummed Korrina, noticing the humorous look of horror on Jason's face, prompting her to smile as she explained, "Those are the prices for customers who come here to flaunt their wealth. If you're a high-ranking Pokémon Battle Connoisseur or hold a high status in the Battle Chateau, most items are less than half of what's listed in the menu. And if we're able to defeat our Serveur or Serveuse, we get to eat for free."
"Am I even allowed to challenge them?" asked Jason, reminding, "I don't have a Trainer's card or license."
"You don't need to worry," Korrina reiterated, her smile turning radiant as she happily revealed, "Truth be told, I brought you here so I could test my current team and show off a bit. The Island Challenge was no walk in the park, but it was a lot different from a conventional Gym Challenge. Before this year's WCS, I need to see if my current team is up to the challenge or if I need to make adjustments outside the inclusion of Luca."
Blinking in surprise, Jason asked, "You're planning to use your Alola team to enter the World Coronation Series? Don't you have Pokémon with much more experience—not just your Lucario?"
"It's complicated," answered Korrina, exhaling faintly from her nose before explaining, "As you've experienced with Ren, raising and caring for even a single Pokémon is costly and time-consuming. So, unless it's their partner or they have another reason to keep them, it's common for active Trainers to return Pokémon to their original habitats or present them to the League at the conclusion of each competitive season for a reward. Powerful and well-trained Pokémon are vital to everything from regional security to the development of infrastructure, so unless you've formed a close bond with one, it's best not to keep them longer than a year or two."
"Right...I can see how that makes sense..." conceded Jason, unable to prevent his brows from furrowing slightly. He couldn't help but view what Korrina was describing as a betrayal of trust, but, from a purely logistical and sustainability standpoint, it was obvious that the League would need to source its man and Pokémonpower from Trainers...
Noticing Jason's disapproval, Korrina was going to try to explain why turning over their Pokémon to the League was a good thing when their Serveuse, a young woman with olive-brown skin, bright blue eyes, and spiky black twin tails, appeared in a pressed white blouse, sleek black pants, and a black server's apron.
"Good afternoon, Marchioness Korrina, Monsieur Jason. It is my privilege to serve you today. My name is Marchioness Yolaine, and I am also an A-Rank Battle Connoisseur. Might I take your orders, or do you require more time?" asked the Serveuse in a strong Kalosian accent, standing tall with a circular silver tray tucked under her left arm and a small black notepad, which she was prepared to record their order on with a sleek, black, gold-embellished pen.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Marchioness Yolaine. I will have the Homard Corphish en Deux Façons," answered Korrina, beaming happily before she turned her attention to Jason, prompting Yolaine to similarly shift her gaze with curiously raised brows.
"I'll have the Bisque d'Écrevisse Corphish Royale," appended Jason, doing his best not to butcher the dish's pronunciation. His first instinct had been to order the same thing as Korrina, but as that could be seen as indecisive and rude, he ordered something similar but more expensive. He still likely ended up looking like a rube to Yolaine—just as he had with Gregorio—but he wasn't especially concerned with impressing her. His sole concern was not embarrassing Korrina as her guest.
Adopting a faint, somewhat amused smile, Yolaine returned her attention to Korrina and asked, "And what would the Marchioness like to drink with her meal? Shall I pair it with our house speciality, Château Lumière Cuvée Pétillante? Or would you prefer a crisper Cuvée de Pecha Doux Millésimé? I personally recommend our seasonal Perle de Clamperl Millésime, served by our Chef de Cuisine."
'I'm definitely being insulted...' Jason noted, maintaining his smile without flinching. It wasn't his first time being viewed as uncultured by someone who took pride in being pretentious. But as he could see Korrina growing increasingly irked on his behalf, he interjected, "If it's a recommendation from the Marchioness, we'll start with the Perle de Clamperl Millésime. I imagine it has a refined flavor but a bitter aftertaste, but I can't know for sure without trying it..."
"Oh? Well, if Monsieur insists..." responded Yolaine, taking down Jason's drink order and meeting his gaze with a mischievous smile before turning to leave without excusing herself. In her wake, Korrina tried to apologize on her behalf, but Jason reassured her he didn't care about the woman's opinion of him. He was, however, looking forward to seeing her destroyed in a Pokémon battle...
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