DAY 2, JUNE 9
"Yawn! Hmmm… That wasn't so bad," Tiffany muttered, sleepily rubbing her eyes as she sat up. "Though I feel stiff now. I better get myself a bed as soon as I can find somewhere that sells that kind of stuff. Maybe up on Main Street? There was a shop there, after all."
Stretching to force away the stiffness from sleeping on the floor, the Dedenne girl changed out of her pale yellow nightgown and into the clothes she had worn the day before.
Better find a clothing shop too. Some new clothes would be nice, Tiffany thought.
Unzipping the tent entrance, she stepped out of the flaps…and nearly keeled over in shock. Outside of her tent, right beside her mailbox, stood a strange man. He was in the process of dropping mail into her mailbox, abruptly stiffening up when he saw her.
He was tall with messy, short white hair hidden beneath a white cap with a thick blue stripe running over it and dark eyes. He wore a loose white unzipped sweatshirt over a deep yellow shirt and blue jeans. He was wearing blue gloves. A yellow mail bag was slung over one shoulder.
"…Hi?" Tiffany squeaked.
"Hi," the man greeted after a moment, looking guilty. "Sorry for the scare. I thought you were asleep, so I thought I'd just put your mail in your box quietly and skedaddle. I guess that didn't work."
"It's okay. You didn't wake me. I didn't even hear you out here," Tiffany admitted. That's a…Pelipper…isn't it?
"So…you're the new mayor, right? Tiffany, I think I heard you being called. I'm Pete, mailman of Chokewood," the Pelipper man explained, holding out a hand. "Again, I'm sorry for the scare."
"It's okay," Tiffany reassured. "And yes, I'm Tiffany…the mayor…"
"Good. Nice to know I found the right place. Not that there are any other tents here yet, but you never know," Pete chuckled, smiling. "So yeah, I saw you had mail and decided to pop on over and deliver it."
"Oh, really? That was fast. I only just got here yesterday," Tiffany admitted, opening the mailbox. Inside laid two letters. "Thank you very much!"
Pete gave a playful salute. "No problem. Just remember to collect your mail every now and then. If that box gets full, I can't cram anymore letters in there for you."
"I'll be sure to do that," Tiffany promised.
The Pelipper man smiled. "That's good to hear. Well, I got more mail to deliver. Be seeing you later, most likely!"
"Thank you very much!" Tiffany exclaimed.
Pete headed through the trees, disappearing into Chokewood. Tiffany plucked up the letters, ripping open the top of the first one. Her eyes scanned it quickly.
Dear Mayor Tiffany,
I'm so sorry for my ever-present flakiness. You no doubt have no idea what your work as mayor may entail. I can explain it to you. When you find time, please come to the town hall and sit in the chair at the back.
Sincerely, Your Secretary, Isabelle
Yeah, that might be helpful. I don't know the first thing about work as a mayor, Tiffany admitted, ears falling back in despair.
Then she read the other letter and her ears shot right back up.
Dear Tiffany,
I apologize for how short notice and how shocking this is. You do not know me, but I know you.
You see, I was supposed to become mayor of Chokewood today. One thing led to another and, if you haven't already heard, talk of a taboo event occurring five years prior to now made me a bit too nervous to accept the position. I couldn't just leave Chokewood hanging, though. I promised to help them. Of course, since I'd only exchanged letters with Chokewood, nobody knew who I was just yet.
That's where you came in.
I found out that you were moving to Chokewood on the same day that I was supposed to be announced as mayor. As much as it pains me to admit to it, I saw you as my opportunity to get out of a sticky situation. I wrote Isabelle a letter informing her of 'my' arrival…only I listed you instead of me.
My sincerest apologies, Tiffany. You're a youngster, fit and bright and ready for anything. Surely you have what it takes to be mayor of Chokewood in my place. I know I can count on you. Good luck with being mayor!
From unknown sender
P.S. Keep this a secret, just between us! Okay?
The letter crumpled under the girl's grip. She felt rage and frustration and misery crash down on her. You're sorry? You just made me accept a position that I don't even understand! I've only just moved here! What makes you think I can deal with this if you can't?
She wanted to rip the letter up. Tear it apart and fling the pieces to the wind…but that'd be littering. Littering was wrong. Instead, she neatly folded the letter and returned it to its envelope. Going back into the tent, she dropped both letters on the floor before leaving again.
You didn't even tell me who you were…or how you knew me, Tiffany lamented.
.o.o.o.o.
"EEK!"
Tiffany slammed the door behind her as she raced into the house, gasping for breath. The black hair had rose up like whiskers again. She struggled to breathe, trying to catch her breath from wildly running away only moments earlier.
The Sawsbuck woman looked at her in the doorway, surprised. "Are you all right, dear?"
Tiffany shakily nodded. "Bees… I hate bees…" she whimpered, sliding to the floor.
"Oh!" The Sawsbuck hid a giggle behind her hand. "So, our mayor is a tree shaker. How interesting."
"Sorry to have barged in. I couldn't lose them," the Dedenne girl apologized.
"At least you didn't get stung," the Sawsbuck pointed out. "What an impromptu way of coming to say hello, mayor."
"Huh?"
Tiffany looked up to see a brilliant and bright room around her. It wasn't very big but the carpet looked like green grass with pink flowers on it. There was a fancy white bench resting against one wall under a window, along with a similar metallic table and three chairs. Beautiful flowering plants rested on the windowsills and on the kitchen counter, each one overflowing with sweet-smelling flowers. It was like a forested park inside of a room.
"I don't believe I introduced myself to you, mayor. My name is Sheila," the Sawsbuck explained, smiling warmly at her. "Do you like my house?"
"It's beautiful," Tiffany whispered, getting to her feet.
"Thank you very much, mayor. I'm sure yours will be equally beautiful when Tom Nook is done building it for you," Sheila said. "Are you enjoying yourself here?"
"Huh? Oh, yes! It's very pretty, especially the beach," Tiffany admitted. "I've always wanted to live by the sea…"
"I'm glad you like it here so much, mayor. I have a feeling good things will happen to this town now that you're here," Sheila predicted, looking out the window. "Maybe our little town will prosper and get bigger. I'd love to have more neighbors. There are so few people in Chokewood now."
"…Sheila… Can I ask you something?"
"Yes, of course. What is it?"
"…What do you know about Ashwood? Why is it Chokewood now?" Tiffany nervously asked.
"…I wish I could say, dear. It was truly a tragedy, what happened to cause that," Sheila said softly, turning away. There was a hand over her heart and her eyes looked watery. "I had…moved here not long before that happened. I nearly left after it, too. If it wasn't for Bob, I don't think Chokewood would have anymore residents left. He pleaded with us to stay…so we did."
Isabelle's dad was involved in that? Tiffany thought, surprised. "…So, you can't tell me anything either?"
"It's best simply to forget what happened in the past, dear. Ashwood…is gone now. I doubt it'll ever come back, not after that," Sheila admitted. "All we have now is Chokewood. As long as we can put the past behind us, all should be well again."
"…But why change the name? Just what happened back then?" Tiffany asked.
"…It's best not to ask. Young ones like you are better off living happy and carefree, blind to the awful things we adults must experience," Sheila muttered. "Mayor, for your own good, please do not pursue the past. You will only bring misery upon yourself…and I truly do not wish to see your smile tainted by the burden we of Chokewood bear."
"…I understand. I'm sorry if I brought up something bad for you," Tiffany apologized, head hung. I guess I have to figure this out myself…
"It's all right, dear. Curiosity is a greedy thing," Sheila giggled, smiling.
Her smile somehow seemed…broken now, compared to earlier. Like she couldn't do it properly anymore. Like such an action was…difficult to perform.
"Actually, I have something else to ask. Since I'll be getting my house soon, I wanted to know if there was a place to get stuff, like clothes or a bed, from," Tiffany explained. "Since I'm new, I'm not sure where to go. I'd have to guess up on Main Street, but I want to be sure of where I'm going before I start looking around."
"Ah, yes! That would be good to know, wouldn't it?" Sheila hid a cheerful laugh. "If you want something new for your house, I'd head for Nookling Junction. As for clothes, you'll want the Able Sisters. They're up on Main Street and should be easy to find. The inventory of the shops usually changes daily, so I'd suggest checking them out fairly often for new things to get."
"Oh! Thank you so much! I'll be sure to look for them right away!" Tiffany declared.
Saying her goodbyes, the Dedenne girl left Sheila's house and headed off to explore more. Thankfully, it appeared that the bees she had disturbed earlier had lost interest in her and left. She was safe to wander around now.
She soon came across another house. This one, unlike the immaculate white and pink of Sheila's house, was painted brilliant shades of red, black, and yellow. She nervously knocked, a little frightened by the gothic appearance of it.
"Come in!" a familiar voice called.
Opening the door, Tiffany indeed confirmed the owner of the house—Cora. The woman was lying on a couch, a book in her hands. The room was dark and held furniture made of dark wood and fabric in the same shades as her house was painted. Strange markings decorated the throw blanket covering the Mega Mawile and paintings depicting gruesome scenes hung from the walls. There was a well-cared for Venus flytrap resting on the couch-side table.
What a frightening place to live, Tiffany thought, trembling. This place is enough to cause nightmares! How can she stand living here?
"Enjoy my abode?" Cora asked, lowering the book and flashing a smile at her. "Not up to your taste, I assume? Good, I strive to be different from everyone else in Chokewood. I apologize if it frightens you."
"I-It's okay," the Dedenne girl squeaked, tail puffing up.
"There's been much talk since you've arrived, mayor. You haven't even done anything yet but your presence alone is having a lovely effect on our little town of Chokewood," Cora commented, rising from the couch.
"Really? I didn't notice," Tiffany admitted.
"You haven't? I'm not surprised," Cora chuckled.
Tiffany couldn't tell if the older woman was teasing her or insulting her. She didn't dare ask for clarification. Cora frightened her, honestly.
"Tell me, do you have any way of making money here, mayor?" Cora suddenly asked. "Surely you can't pay Tom Nook's bill if you have no income."
"Well…I was going to look for a job," Tiffany explained nervously.
Cora looked appalled. "A job? Aren't you mayor? My, my, I cannot just stand by and watch such a thing occur!" she declared, hands dropping onto the Dedenne's girl's shoulders. "If you haven't already heard, there's a place here called the recycle shop. It's a shop where you can recycle things for money. A quick way to make some cash is by bringing fruit, such as the apples that grow plentiful here in Chokewood, to the recycle shop. The shop owner will pay you well for them if you sell. You can also sell them the shells you find on the beach."
"Really?" Tiffany looked amazed. She recalled all the seashells she'd seen on the beach. Maybe it won't be so hard to make a living here after all!
"Really," Cora nodded, withdrawing her hands and stepping back from the younger girl. "Also, though many would say not to, I'd suggest tree shaking. Sometimes Kirk drops money as he's flying around in the treetops. He never notices that it's missing and I'm sure you could use the cash more."
"I… Thank you so much for the advice," Tiffany said, smiling.
"Of course. We neighbors have to help each other out, after all. How can we be a proper community if we don't?" Cora smirked. "Now run along, mayor. I'm sure you have things to do."
Tiffany left her house as instructed. The first thing she did was shake a nearby tree. Instead of apples falling out—or a beehive—a golden coin fell from the branches. The Dedenne girl scooped it up, smiling.
Yep, living here won't be as hard as I thought, she decided.
.o.o.o.o.
"Yo, mayor! Over here!"
Tiffany yelped, shoving the coins she'd shaken from a nearby tree into her pocket. Whirling around, she noticed a gray-colored house nearby. Gliding around the nearby pond was none other than the Gliscor boy from before, black cloak extended to catch the wind.
"You're…Kirk, right?" Tiffany asked when he reached her, landing right beside her. That black cloak behind him… It helps him fly?
"Yep! That's me!" the boy grinned, displaying razor-sharp teeth.
Tiffany resisted the urge to run away. Predator shot through her mind at a thousand miles a second. She was scared…but she hid it well. She didn't want to offend Kirk, after all. It wasn't his fault that he had sharp teeth.
"Hey, I know! Have you been to the Re-Tail Shop yet, mayor? It's awesome in there!" Kirk gushed merrily. "I can sell them my furniture, clothes, fruit, and shells! They'll buy just about anything from you if you're willing to sell it to them!"
"I might just need to look for that place," Tiffany said. "Thank you for telling me, Kirk."
"You're welcome, mayor! Anytime!" the Gliscor boy saluted, grinning. "So, liking it here in Chokewood? It may be small but we've got plenty of spirit!"
"I can tell," Tiffany giggled. "Chokewood seems like a nice place. I'm glad to be here."
"We're glad to have you here. The old mayor was fun and all, but I like that we've got a fresh face here now," Kirk admitted.
"What happened to the old mayor? You all keep mentioning him," the Dedenne girl commented.
"Eh… I'm not sure," Kirk shrugged, scratching his head with a pincer. "Darrel said he decided to resign and leave Chokewood. Nobody ever saw him leave, though. Not really sure what happened there."
"Darrel?"
"Bob's boy," Kirk clarified. "The Herdier guy. Tall, frowns a lot, got a weird face…"
Isabelle's brother, Tiffany realized. "Oh, okay. I was just curious."
"No worries. Ask away! After all, you're new. We shouldn't expect you to know everything off the bat," Kirk laughed. "Just ask and we'll help as best we can. That's what we're here for!"
'As best we can'… I better not mention that taboo event, if Sheila's reaction was anything to gauge by. I don't want to cause any trouble, Tiffany decided. "So, what all is there to do around here?"
"Oh, lots of things! Of course, you need some tools to do certain things, but no worries! They're easy to get a hold of!" Kirk explained with a sharp-toothed grin. "First off, you can catch bugs with a net! You can also fish for…well, fish. You can also dig up weird patches of cracked ground with a shovel. Sometimes you'll find weird stuff in those places! Any of those things that you get with those tools, you can sell over at the recycle shop."
Tiffany smiled. "Got it. Thank you very much, Kirk!"
"No problem, mayor! Anytime!" the Gliscor boy nodded. "Oh yeah! You can get those tools over at Nookling Junction!"
"Thank you! I'll look for those!" Tiffany promised, dashing away into the trees. I better go shopping soon…but I better see what Isabelle has to say first!
.o.o.o.o.
"Oh! Mayor Tiffany! Hello! Have a good rest last night?" Isabelle asked, looking up from her desk.
"Well, it wasn't awful, but I think I'll start hunting for a bed," Tiffany admitted. "You sent me a letter about my duties as mayor?"
"Oh, yes! I remembered late last night. Sorry about that!" the Lillipup girl apologized, head lowered. "Anyhow, come on back!"
The section of counter separating the town hall in two was pulled up and over the edge of Isabelle's desk, allowing Tiffany to head past the Lillipup girl's desk and access the office beyond. There was a big desk with photos and awards and such decorating the shelves behind it. The Dedenne girl plopped down in the cushy black leather swivel chair.
"Ooh! This feels good!" she purred, spinning in it.
"I'm sure it does," Isabelle giggled. "But act professional right now, okay? I need you to listen."
"Awwww! Okay…" Tiffany ceased her spinning and sat up properly, ears perked and ready to listen.
"First off, are you all done unpacking and such from your move?"
"…I guess, yes. I don't have much, actually. Just some clothes and personal items in a suitcase," Tiffany said.
"Lucky! It feels like my family moved here forever ago, but I still have unpacked cardboard boxes in my room," Isabelle admitted. "Oh! Don't tell my big brother! I don't let anyone in my room for exactly that reason!"
"I'm not telling anyone. If you need help unpacking, I could help," the Dedenne girl offered.
"Oh! Really? I think I'd like that," Isabelle smiled. "But back to business! You know the desk where I usually sit? That's the service counter, the hub for all info about Chokewood! I not only give advice but I provide other services when I'm at my post here in the town hall. Of course, you'll need to stand at the counter to get advice from me, just like everyone else. I can't bend the rules just because you're the mayor, after all!"
"That's understandable," Tiffany agreed.
"Good!" Isabelle nodded, smiling proudly. "Now then, onto your duties at mayo—"
The Lillipup girl froze, eyes wide in shock.
Uh oh… Now what? Tiffany thought, bracing herself.
"Oh no! I completely forgot!" Isabelle wailed loudly, clipboard dropping to the floor as she tugged her ears. "In order to do anything developmental-wise in Chokewood, you'll need a town-development permit!"
"Is that hard to get?" Tiffany asked, concerned.
"Well, it takes a bit of work…" Isabelle admitted. "But I'll do all I can to help you get it! That's what I'm here for!"
"That's good," Tiffany sighed in relief.
The Lillipup girl smiled. "I love that can-do attitude of yours, Mayor Tiffany! On that note, I'll help you out with any official mayoral business. Just plop down in your chair and we'll get right to work! Once you're not busy, we'll get to work on that town-development permit."
"Got it. I'll drop back in later to help work on that," the Dedenne girl promised, hopping out of the mayor's chair. "I think I'll go shopping."
"Good luck with that! Hope you find a comfy bed!" Isabelle wished.
"Thanks!"
Leaving the town hall, Tiffany headed west and crossed a bridge before going north. She paused briefly when she saw a fenced-in area with a sign stuck into the ground. Heading over, she read it.
"This spot reserved for Amy's new home, Nook's Homes," Tiffany read aloud. "A new resident? Amy… I wonder what she's like?"
Heading further north, she soon found herself near the train station. Close by was another building with a billboard beside it listing advertisements and such. The door was yellow with a circle-shaped window in it. The light was on and the sign on the knob said OPEN. Pulling the door open, she stepped inside.
The room was brightly lit with a dark wooden floor and yellow walls. Large items stood on podiums around the room. At the back was a shelf that had a few items on it. Standing nearby were two people, obviously talking business.
One was a tall woman with a long neck. Her long hair was yellow with a thick white blaze going from the top of her head to the long bangs framing her face. Two horns with bulbous tips stuck out from the top of her head. She wore a yellow shirt with black spots around the waist, black pants with yellow spots going down the sides of the legs, and a darker yellow apron around her front. Sticking out from behind her, with eyes and a toothy mouth of its own, was a short black tail.
The other was like a miniature version of Tom Nook. It was a young Sentret boy wearing a white shirt, a brown jacket, and brown pants. A striped tail swung behind him merrily while long rabbit-like ears flopped over his head slightly. There was a small blue apron around his waist.
"Thank you very much, Timmy. Thanks to you, we've been able to recycle and refurbish many things. If your customers keep bringing you items like that tape deck, feel free to bring them over," the woman said.
"No, thank you, Ms. Reese!" the Sentret boy, Timmy, corrected. "We wouldn't know what to do with a tape deck. At least you'll make sure it gets into the hands of someone who can use it properly."
"That, I will. Tell Tommy I said hello, would you?" the woman, Reese, requested.
"I will! Bye!" Timmy turned and bolted for the door, nearly crashing into Tiffany. "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't see you there, miss!"
"My goodness! That could've been disastrous!" Reese gasped. "Are you both all right?"
"I'm fine," Tiffany reassured.
"Me too," Timmy nodded. "Sorry, miss. I should've watched where I was going."
"It's okay. I should've said something," Tiffany admitted, looking away sheepishly.
"Well, you're a face I don't recognize," Reese noticed. "Could you be…? My goodness, you must be! Mayor Tiffany?"
"Uh… Yes?" Tiffany squeaked.
"Oh! So you're the girl my dad's talking about!" Timmy realized. "I'm Timmy. My brother and I run a shop on Main Street called Nookling Junction. I hope we'll see you there one day, miss mayor!"
He helps run Nookling Junction? But he's a kid! Tiffany thought, shocked. Wait! Nookling… Nook… Tom Nook's son? He said his father was talking about me. They're both Sentret. It must be him!
"It was nice meeting you, miss mayor. Bye!" Timmy dashed out of the shop, this time keeping his eyes in front of him to avoid any more accidents.
"My goodness, that boy can be quite a troublemaker sometimes. I'm terribly sorry that almost happened, mayor," Reese apologized. "Welcome to the recycle shop, Re-Tail. I'm excited to finally meet you. You're younger than I expected."
"You're not the only one to say that," Tiffany admitted. That tail… She has to be a Girafarig.
"It's not a bad thing. Youth is good," Reese pointed out. "If you don't yet know, our shop buys items and furniture to resell here. We'll also pay extra for any high-value items listed on our billboard outside of the door. You can sell to us outright or set your own price and put the items on display for others to buy. If you happen to have something you no longer need, feel free to bring it in to make some money!"
"I'll remember that. Mind if I look around?" Tiffany asked.
"Oh, of course! Feel free!" Reese nodded, stepping aside and gesturing to the items on display.
The Dedenne girl strolled around, looking at the display items. There was a bright yellow dressing closet covered in flowers, a blue plastic chair, a large potted plant, and…a bed.
Tiffany instantly zipped over to it. It was pretty big compared to her, but it was an average size. It had a wooden frame, white sheets, a pillow, and a red quilt.
"Interested in buying that, mayor?" Reese asked, coming over. "The asking price is 120 bells."
From all the tree shaking she had done, she had 300 bells currently. I really don't want to sleep on the floor again, Tiffany decided.
"I'll take it!" she declared.
"Wonderful! I'll have it delivered to you immediately. When you get home, it'll be like it was there all along!" Reese guaranteed, accepting the money given to her.
"Uh… I've heard that I can sell you fruit and stuff, too," Tiffany added.
"Why, of course! I'll buy just about anything!" Reese admitted. "What do you have for me, mayor?"
Tiffany handed over a few apples and bunch of shells she had collected earlier. "I've got some of these shells already, so why not sell the rest?" she said.
"Indeed," the Girafarig woman agreed. "Let's see… I can give you 600 bells for the whole lot. That sound good?"
"Good? That sounds amazing!" Tiffany cried.
"I'm glad I can please you, mayor," Reese giggled, giving over the money.
Tiffany suddenly registered the sound of snoring. Looking over, she noticed another person sleeping hunched over a desk by the far wall. It looked like another Girafarig, only this one had shorter hair.
"Who's that?"
"Oh, that's my darling. He's tired from working all night long. We'd best let him get some sleep, the poor thing," Reese suggested.
"I understand. Thank you very much for the help, miss Reese!" Tiffany said.
"Of course. Anytime," Reese nodded. "Come again soon, okay?"
"I will," Tiffany promised, waving goodbye before heading out the door.
She looked around briefly before heading east. She paused by the railroad tracks, looking up the steps toward Main Street. Maybe I should go see those people Sheila told me about. The Able Sisters, was it?
"Well, nice seeing you again, mayor."
Tiffany jumped, whipping around in terror. Her tail puffed and black hair rose up. Standing just behind her, jacket collar still blazing brightly, was the Typhlosion man from the previous day. He still looked intimidating, causing the Dedenne girl to back up a step. He noticed and cocked an eyebrow.
"Relax, would you? I'm not going to eat you, you know," he said, frowning. "I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Blake."
"T-Tiffany," she squeaked, shaking. "N-Nice to m-meet you."
"…Eh…" Blake rubbed the back of his head, annoyed. "Pretty stiff and formal, calling you 'mayor' all the time. I'll just call you Tiff. That's easier."
"Uh…sure! Whatever you want," Tiffany nodded quickly, not wanting to anger the blue-haired man.
"Geez, quit being to jittery. I'm not that scary," Blake snorted. "…Here!"
He shoved something wrapped in wrapping paper into her arms. Tiffany jumped, nearly dropping it in surprise. She quickly snatched it up, looking up at Blake in confusion and shock.
"Sheila kept telling me that I should make a good first impression or something. Said a gift would be good. I got this via mail order but I don't care for it, so you can have it. Call it a housewarming present or whatever," Blake huffed, looking away. "Besides, the colors fit you better than they do me, anyway."
Tiffany forced herself to relax, looking down at the present. It felt soft and was rectangular in shape. Gently peeling back the paper, she held it out in front of her. The gift unfolded and revealed itself to be an argyle knit shirt. It was orange with stripes of white, black, and yellow on it.
"…Wow…"
"See? I'd look awful in that," Blake smirked. "My house is down here if you want to try it on."
"Sure!" Tiffany nodded, hugging the gift to her chest.
.o.o.o.o.
"So, you live down by the town hall? That's a good spot. Now I know where you are, so I can drop by or something. Maybe send a letter," Blake shrugged.
Tiffany smiled, nodding. She had changed out of her shirt and jacket, putting on the knit shirt Blake had given her. It was nice and warm, not at all itchy like she expected a knit shirt to be. It felt pretty comfortable.
"Thank you for the shirt. I actually have to go clothes shopping soon," the Dedenne girl admitted.
"Go to the Able Sisters. They'll set you up real good," Blake suggested, looking up at the sky. "They can make anything you want. If you can dream it, they can make it."
"Wow…" Tiffany smiled. "You're not as scary as I thought you were."
"Told you so," Blake smirked.
"…I think I'll go check out the Able Sisters," Tiffany decided. "And the Nookling Junction and all that!"
"What are you waiting for then? Go for it," Blake chuckled, waving her off. "See you around, Tiff."
"Bye, Blake! Thanks!" Tiffany cried, waving goodbye as she headed north for the train tracks.
.o.o.o.o.
"10,000 bells?!"
Tiffany's jaw dropped. Tom Nook wrung his hands nervously, nodding.
"That's just the down payment, mayor. We'll need that before any work can be done on your house," the Sentret man explained.
"That's a whole lot. Can I even earn that much quickly?" Tiffany muttered, twisting her skirt between her hands.
"Actually, yes. You'll find that Chokewood is rich in crops and other resources. You should find it quite easy to earn that much in not very long at all!" Tom Nook reassured.
"Really?"
"I'm a very honest man, mayor. I would never lie to you," Tom Nook vowed, hand on his heart. "You can collect fruit and seashells to sell at the recycling shop. If you can, buy a net or fishing rod once you have enough. The catches you can make with those can earn you quite a bit of cash, too."
"I…guess that could work…" Tiffany admitted, ears lowered. I guess I'm living in that tent for a while longer…
"So, come and see me once you've got 10,000 bells saved up. Once that's done, we'll get your house built right away!" Tom Nook declared. "Good luck on your expedition to earn cash, mayor."
"Thanks…"
Tiffany sighed before heading out the door. Going down the street, she saw the post office next door to Nook's Homes. Further down the street were Nookling Junction and the Able Sisters. There was a massive building further down the street from them, but Tiffany hesitated to go that far just yet. Instead she headed into Nookling Junction.
She was greeted by another Sentret boy, this one looking a touch younger than the one she'd run into earlier at Re-Tail. "Ah, welcome! Come on in!" he encouraged.
"So, this is Nookling Junction?" Tiffany questioned.
"Is this the first time you've been in here?" the Sentret boy asked.
"Yes," Tiffany nodded. "I think I met your brother already. Timmy, right?"
"That's my brother," he nodded. "I'm Tommy. Nice to meet you, miss…?"
"Tiffany."
"Tiffany? As in, Mayor Tiffany? Oh my goodness, it's you!" Tommy squealed in joy. "Welcome to our establishment, mayor! I hope you will treat my brother and me kindly."
"Why wouldn't I?" Tiffany asked.
Tommy seemed to ignore her question. "Our store sells a variety of furniture and useful goods for daily living. This is a rather teeny shop, but please relax and enjoy shopping. Take your time!"
"I will," the Dedenne girl promised, smiling.
It was indeed a small shop, having two wooden tables in it covered in goods. One had a few shovels and nets on it. The other had some bejeweled paper, a roll of colored paper covered in designs, and a pile of fortune cookies on a plate. She looked over the fortune cookies, interested.
"That would be a unique product from our shop," Tommy explained, scurrying over to her. "When you eat it, a lucky ticket will be inside. Sometimes you'll win! If you bring back the ticket, we'll trade it for a rare, not-sold-anywhere-else item! They're only a modest 2 bells each, if you're interested."
"That's pretty cheap," Tiffany admitted. "I'll take one."
Tommy bagged the cookie and handed it to her, accepting the money. "Don't forget to bring back the ticket for a special prize!"
"I won't," Tiffany looked around. Is there anything else in here I should get?
She ended up parting with 160 bells to get a set of four pieces of bejeweled paper. She eyed the net and shovel briefly, deciding to bring at least 1,000 bells with her next time in order to purchase them both. She left the shop with her plan of action for next time in mind.
Night had begun to fall by then, cutting short her plans to check out the Able Sisters. There's always tomorrow, she decided, stifling a yawn. I better go home and get to bed. It's been a long day.
She trekked home quickly, ducking under the flap of her tent as she headed inside. The Dedenne girl paused briefly when she noticed something. There was a bed in her tent.
Oh yeah… No more sleeping on the floor for me!
Tiffany changed into her nightgown and crawled into bed, falling asleep instantly.
.o.o.o.o.
"Oi! Wake up!"
"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"
"Hey! Stop that! Leave Mayor Tiffany alone, you two!"
"Hmmm?" Tiffany groaned, eyes fluttering open. What? Who's making all the noise?
Sitting up in bed, she looked over to the tent entrance. There were three shadows there. Two were small and seemed to be clawing away at the zipper, trying to open the flaps. The third shadow was bigger and seemed to be trying to drag the other two away.
"Stop that right now! Our mayor is trying to sleep!"
Isabelle? Ugh… What time is it? Tiffany looked around before recalling she had no clock. It must be the middle of the night or something. What's going on out there?
Just as the sleepy Dedenne girl climbed out of the, the tent flaps unzipped and two kids tumbled inside. One was a young girl with blue hair and round mouse ears atop her head. The other was a boy with messy brown hair, buck teeth, and chubby cheeks. Isabelle scrambled in after them, seizing them by the collars of their shirts.
"Mayor Tiffany, I'm so sorry! I warned Porter not to let these two into Chokewood but they got away from him!" Isabelle babbled, teary-eyed.
"Let go of me!" the girl cried, struggling to escape.
"Yeah! Get off!" the boy yelped, trying to squirm away.
Isabelle yanked the pair to their feet, glowering at them. "Do you know what time it is? Our mayor is trying to sleep! Stop coming to harass us at this time of night!"
"We're just dropping by for some fun!" the boy whined.
"Not like anyone else comes by your dumb town, anyway!" the girl declared.
Isabelle gasped. "Take that back! Our mayor will bring change to Chokewood! You'll see!"
"I doubt it!" the girl countered, glaring at Tiffany. "Hey, Martin! Look at that! She's barely bigger than us! You made a kid your mayor? You could've elected us or something, you know that?"
"Yeah! That's not fair! A mayor's supposed to be a grown-up, not a kid!" the boy, Martin, agreed.
"I'll have you know that our mayor has all of the qualifications to be our mayor. And she's not a child! She's a fine young woman who will bring good things to this town of ours!" Isabelle barked, releasing their collars and pinching their ears instead.
"Isabelle, who are these two?" Tiffany asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Isn't the train station closed at this time of night?"
"The train station is open 24/7, Mayor Tiffany," Isabelle corrected. "As for these two, they're frequent troublemaking visitors from neighboring towns. The Marill is Laura from Orchid and the Bidoof is Martin from Springdale. I've been trying to crack down on their activities but they've refused to stop visiting. Even Porter can't keep them contained!"
"Porter?"
"The supervisor of the train station," Isabelle explained.
Oh! The Aipom from when I first arrived, Tiffany realized. Straightening up, she rested her hands on her hips. "So, I'm guessing they came here to cause more trouble?"
"We just came to see who'd become mayor of this dumpy place!" Martin cried.
"Looks like it's just some poor sucker from out of town," Laura snickered. "Better get out while you can or the monster's gonna get you!"
"Monster?" Tiffany asked, surprised.
"That's enough! I don't want any more talk of monsters!" Isabelle snarled, tugging harder on their ears and earned pained shrieks in return. "You two are going back on the first train to Orchid and Springdale! Do you hear me?"
"No, we aren't! Martin!" Laura shouted.
"You two aren't going anywhe—YAAAAH!"
Isabelle leaped backward, clutching her foot. The Bidoof boy had stomped on it hard, causing her to release them. The two kids turned, shoving the Lillipup girl back and fleeing from the tent into the surrounding trees. Tiffany shot forward, pulling Isabelle up off the ground. She was yelping in pain, tears in her eyes, clutching her foot between her hands.
"Isabelle!" Tiffany yelped. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine! It just…really, really hurts!" Isabelle hissed, eyes squeezing shut. "Mayor, please, you have to find those two. They'll cause more property damage with all their digging! Thieves, both of them! Rotten little destructive thieves!"
"I… Okay! I'll find them!" Tiffany promised, getting to her feet. "Can you get back to the town hall by yourself?"
"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," Isabelle reassured shakily. "Just keep those two from causing anymore damage. The sooner we make them leave, the better off Chokewood will be!"
"…I understand," the Dedenne girl nodded.
Not bothering to go change into something warmer, the nightgown-clad girl dashed out into the darkness. The moonlight was her only guide through the trees.
Please let me find them! I can't let them ruin Chokewood! Tiffany prayed.
.o.o.o.o.
CLUNK!
"Nothing there!" Martin reported, moving to another rock.
CLUNK!
"Ugh! Nothing there either!" Martin stepped back, lowering his shovel. "These rocks aren't anything special."
"Hey, check it!" Laura lifted her shovel from the ground, showing off a chunk of stone with white bits sticking out of it. "Wonder what fossil this is?"
"Man, that mayor's lame! She hasn't even dug up the cool stuff yet!" Martin laughed, scampering over to his friend.
"I bet she doesn't even have a shovel," the Marill girl smirked. "What a loser! We cleaned out our towns ages ago! This place is a treasure trove!"
"Still…did you see her face? When we mentioned the monster," Martin wrung his hands nervously. "You think she doesn't know?"
"Of course she doesn't know! The old mayor of this place made it all hush-hush, remember? She doesn't know anything!" Laura declared. She frowned upon reaching the plaza. "Want to uproot her commemoration tree?"
"Isn't that a big crime? I mean, yeah, we're stealing stuff…but uproot that? We could get in huge trouble, Laura!" Martin yelped, eyes wide in shock at the suggestion.
"…Hmph! Whatever! Not like it's worth the trouble, anyway!" Laura left the plaza alone. "Let's keep hunting."
They kept banging rocks and searching for dig spots. Laura uncovered another fossil before Martin called her over.
"I think the mayor's coming! I can hear her crashing around over there," Martin whispered, pointing west of them.
"Then let's leave her a welcoming present from us, eh?" Laura cackled, beginning to dig.
.o.o.o.o.
Tiffany gasped for breath as she fought her way through the trees.
"Kids! Kids! Where are you? Answer me! Please!" she called.
Laughter came from up ahead. Shoving through the last of the trees, she limped into a clearing. She could see the two children near the center of it, shovels in their hands. The girl, Laura, ceased her laughter upon seeing the Dedenne girl.
"Awww! Look who came to ruin our fun, Martin," the Marill girl complained.
"If it isn't the loser mayor. Aw, shucks! Guess it's game over for us, huh?" Martin shrugged, shovel swung over his shoulder.
"You're both coming with me right now!" Tiffany ordered.
"Really? Make us!" Laura demanded.
"Yeah! Come get us! We won't even run," Martin added, grinning.
"Come get you? Fine, I will!" Tiffany stomped over to them. "I won't tolerate you stealing from this place. I'm the mayor now and I sa—WAAAAAHH!"
The ground fell away beneath her, sending the orange-haired girl plummeting into the pitfall trap below. Hitting the bottom, she gave a pained whimper and clutched her ankle. Pain erupted from every inch of her small frame. Laughter made her look up, revealing the two kids leering down at her.
"Man, did you see that? She fell right for it, no questions asked! Must've never encountered a pitfall trap before! Hah!" Martin laughed meanly.
Laura yanked down the lower lid of her left eye and stuck out her tongue. "Let's see you get out of there without a shovel, loser mayor! You should've never come here! Hah!"
Tiffany felt tears stinging her eyes. Pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, she buried her face against her knees. Their laughter rang in her ears long after they were gone.
I promised Isabelle that I would stop them…but I couldn't. How can I be a good mayor if I can't even stop two kids from damaging Chokewood and stealing stuff?
The Dedenne girl struggled to hold in her sobs. In the end, she simply couldn't. Tears gushed down her cheeks in rivers as she bawled. Her crying was so loud that she never heard footsteps approaching the trap she was stuck in.
"Tiff? Hey, Tiff! Is that you?"
Tiffany jumped, startled. Scrubbing tears from her face, she looked up. Leaning over the edge of the pitfall, flaming collar lighting up the area, was Blake. The Typhlosion man looked surprised to see her.
"What are you doing down there?" he asked. "You fall into this thing? You shouldn't wander around at night, you know."
Tiffany looked away, cheeks burning with shame. Blake frowned.
"Hold on. I'll get you out. Give me a sec, okay?" he said.
Blake vanished over the lip of the pitfall, disappearing from sight. After a moment, she heard the sound of something stabbing into dirt. The noise came again, over and over, until a shower of dirt came from above. Tiffany looked up to see Blake, armed with a shovel, digging away at the pit. It took him close to twenty minutes to dig a slope down to her, leaving a huge hole in the ground. Once the slope was finished, he quickly dashed down it.
"You okay, Tiff? Who did this?" he asked, dropping down to his knees in front of her.
Tiffany sniffed, tearing up more.
"Tiff!" Blake barked, shaking her by the shoulders. "Tiff, who dug this pitfall? Why are you even out here?"
"…I was trying to stop these two kids from stealing stuff. They hurt Isabelle…"
Blake froze. Then his eyes narrowed, teeth grit harshly. The flaming collar of his jacket seemed to grow brighter and larger. He let go of her and got to his feet.
"I'll be right back. You stay here, okay?" he ordered coldly, turning his back to her.
"…Blake?" Tiffany looked up
"…Just stay here, okay? I'll be back." Blake headed up the dirt slope.
"Blake?" Tiffany squeaked, uncurling. "Blake!"
Reaching the top of the slope, Blake suddenly broke into a run.
"Blake!" Tiffany cried, getting to her feet…only to fall back down, her ankle screaming with pain. "Ow… Blake, wait! Blake!"
.o.o.o.o.
There was fire roaring through his veins. His collar burned against the back of his neck, but there was no pain. Only rage. Hate. The need for revenge. To right the wrong that had been done to Tiff, to his mayor, to…
A girl with long blue hair smiled at him, flame lapping against her back. The Quilava giggled, hands latched onto his sleeve. Her ruby red eyes, so beautiful, so much like his own. She'd always looked up to him, wanting to one day be as strong as him, her darling…
"Big brother!"
His vision cleaved through the darkness, leaving everything bare and bright as day to him. He could hear them, smell them, taste them! Only a little further ahead. The scent of apples assaulted his nose.
Thieves! Both of you! Little thieving brats! How dare you? How dare you hurt my sister?
The ground was tearing apart under his shoes. The flames grew larger, hotter, brighter, almost white with hatred.
I'll get you! I'll get both of you! Make you pay for hurting her!
The forest opened up before him. There they were, cackling gleefully as they stole apples from the trees. They thought they'd made a clean getaway.
They're about to know better. I'll make them scream…
They never knew what hit them.
.o.o.o.o.
"Look at that! Got a gem!" Martin cried, holding up the beautiful purple stone.
"Sweet! That'll earn us a lot back home!" Laura grinned. "Fossils and apples and stuff galore!"
"And all of it's for the taking because the residents and mayor are too stupid to take advantage of all this stuff!" Martin laughed.
"Totally!" the Marill girl agreed, zigzag tail wagging merrily.
STOMP! STOMP!
"Eep! What was that?" Martin yelped, ceasing his digging.
"I don't…know…?" Laura froze, eyes locked on the tree line south of them. "…Martin… Run…"
"Run? Run from what?" Martin looked up before freezing, shovel clattering to the ground in terror. "Oh no…"
Stepping ominously toward them, eyes narrowed and collar blazing, was Blake. Both kids were too terrified to move, eyes locked on the approaching blue-haired man. Blake was growling, teeth grit sharply and hands balled into fists. Every step brought him closer and closer to the two rotten thieves before him.
"L-L-Laura!" Martin stammered, tearing up. "I-I-I don't w-want to d-d-die!"
Blake was suddenly right in front of them. His red eyes were alight with rage.
"You hurt Tiff," he growled.
Tiff? Who's Tiff? Laura thought, brain not working properly.
"You made her cry," Blake continued.
"L-L-Laura!" Martin keened, tears gushing down his knees. His knees knocked together loudly. "L-L-Laura!"
"You're gonna pay for it," Blake concluded. "Say your prayers."
What does he—
A choked scream tore through Laura's thoughts. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion for her while everything around her was going at super speed.
Blake was no longer in front of her, he was off to her side. His back was arched back. One knee was buried in Martin's gut, the brunette being the source of the scream that had ripped apart her thoughts only seconds ago. She could see the tears and blood fly from her companion's features as he flew back, slamming into the ground and vanishing within a cloud of dust.
Then Blake was in front of her.
No! He's not getting me too! Laura's consciousness screamed, forcing her senses into overdrive.
She yanked back one arm, a ball of water forming in it. Then Laura lunged, forcing the arm forward. Type advantages flooded her mind, reminding her that she was Water-type and he was Fire-type. She could beat him. She just needed a well-placed hit. Then she could grab Martin, run back to the train station, and go home with their stolen riches.
Blake's hand snatched her wrist and yanked her arm wide, swinging the tiny girl around him. Laura never got to scream before she got a mouth full of dirt. Then he had her by the ankle and swung her around again, slamming her back-first into a tree. There was a hand around her throat and a scream tore free of her lips.
Help me! Help me! Please, someone help me!
Red eyes. All she could see was fire and red eyes. Eyes full of rage and hate. Eyes that wanted to see her suffer, see her bleed, see her die! The eyes of a monster.
Help! Laura mentally pleaded, tears running down her cheeks. I don't want to die!
Blake flung her around, sending her crashing down atop Martin's still frame. The Bidoof boy was nearly unconscious, groaning, a string of blood dripping from his mouth to the ground. Laura struggled to get upright, only to fall over his body again.
Blake was coming at her again, slow and predator-like. He knew he'd won. He knew they couldn't escape. He knew…
Someone, please help us, Laura thought, lowering her head to sob over Martin. Please, help!
He was standing over them now, flames roaring over his head and eyes aglow. Laura could only stare, mouth agape, tears flowing freely down her cheeks, as the blue-haired man leaned back and lifted one leg up. Knee bent, foot positioned right over her and Martin, ready to surge down and crush them both in one stomp.
He's going to kill us!
Hellfire eyes narrowed down at them. "Die and repent, brats," he growled coldly.
His foot came down. Laura jerked, burying her face in the face beneath her. A terrified scream erupted from her throat.
"SOMEONE HELP US!"
"STOP!"
Heat. All Laura could feel was heat. Sweat coated her skin, making her feel filthy. Martin gave another groan under her, not coherent enough to recognize the danger they were in.
Then the Marill girl realized the heat was coming no closer. She was not burning to death. She and Martin had not been crushed under the enraged Typhlosion man's foot. They were still alive.
"Stop it, Blake! Please, stop!"
Laura froze before slowly looking up. Standing before them, arms flung wide, was the loser mayor. She was trembling, forcing most of her weight on her right leg. The black hair alongside her face was puffed, sticking out horizontally like whiskers. Her long black tail was puffed up and her ears were folded back, almost invisible beneath her hair.
Then Laura realized the mayor wasn't alone.
Blake had been forcibly dragged back a few feet by a woman with brown hair and antlers covered in pink flowers. The Sawsbuck woman had her head ducked down to avoid catching on fire, arms wound tightly around the Typhlosion man's chest. He had seemingly frozen, leg still raised to deal the killing blow, eyes wide in shock.
Off to the mayor's side was a woman with black hair wearing flowing clothes of red and yellow. Atop her head were two snarling mouths on stalks, both of them drooling and snapping and growling. The Mega Mawile woman's red eyes watched the scene, drinking it in with amusement.
"Blake, calm down! You have to stop this!" the Sawsbuck woman pleaded.
"Blake, as your mayor, I'm ordering you to stand down!" the Dedenne mayor declared bravely. "So stop! Now!"
"…They hurt you. Hurt the mayor. Had to pay. Deserved—"
"Blake, wake up! Those two are just children, petty thieves at that! They didn't attack our mayor with that kind of malicious intent!" the Sawsbuck woman cried.
Blake froze. "…I'm sorry…" He lowered his leg, foot resting on the grass heavily. "I'm sorry, Tiff. I'm sorry…"
"It's okay. At least we got you to stop before you…" The Dedenne girl trailed off.
"Honestly, Blake, it's been forever since I've seen you get that mad. Got a soft spot for our new mayor, do you?" the Mega Mawile teased.
"Stop it, Cora. You're not helping," the Sawsbuck woman warned.
"I meant nothing by it. Relax yourself, Sheila," Cora countered, frowning. "Though he sure did a number on those two. Not that they didn't deserve it. It was bound to happen one of these days."
"Blake? Are you okay now?" the Dedenne girl asked, limping toward him.
"…Yeah, I'm good. I… Sorry about that. I just…" Blake looked away. "…I'm sorry…"
"It's okay. I'm just glad everyone is okay," the Dedenne girl sighed, smiling. Then she turned to Laura and Martin. "Are you both okay?"
Laura shakily nodded before sitting up, pulling Martin half into her lap. Shaking him, the Bidoof boy gave a groan before opening his eyes.
"Hmmm? Are we dead, Laura?"
"No, we're not. We're still alive." Laura looked up at the residents around them. "Just in really…really…really…big trouble."
"I think I like death better," Martin complained, gingerly sitting up and rubbing his gut.
"I suggest you drop everything you stole and jump on the first train home, kids," Cora stated, glaring at them harshly. "And I'll repeat what you're always told—please don't come back."
"I'm taking Blake back to his house. Mayor, I can walk you home too," Sheila offered, looking at their injured mayor with concern.
"Thank you. I think I'd like that," the Dedenne girl smiled. "Cora, are yo—"
"Hey! Get back here, you scoundrels!"
The group turned to see Laura and Martin fleeing toward the train station, having taken advantage of the residents' chatter to escape. Cora gave chase, only to pause when the pair got into the station. A few minutes later, a train roared out of Chokewood station and headed west.
"Darn it!" Cora cursed, hands fisted. "I shouldn't have taken my eyes off of them!"
"They're gone now. That's all that matters," Sheila pointed out, leading Blake away from the clearing. "Come along, mayor. Let's go home."
"But all the stuff they stole!" Tiffany argued.
"Well, no use trying to get it back now. They're long gone," Cora snorted, stalking away. "Have a nice rest, mayor. Those ruffians will likely be back in a few days, anyway. You can scold them then!"
Tiffany watched the older woman disappear before limping after Sheila. They dropped Blake off at his house before heading toward the Dedenne girl's tent. Sheila gave her goodbyes before trekking home herself.
Tiffany shakily changed into a fresh nightgown and crawled into bed. I hope Isabelle is okay…and Blake… Why did he snap like that? He looked even scarier than usual like that…
Shoving those thoughts away, she curled up under the covers and forced herself to stop thinking. She fell asleep shortly afterward.
.o.o.o.o.
"Ow! That Typhlosion guy was crazy! He was seriously trying to kill us, Laura!" Martin complained.
"I know," Laura muttered, resting her cheek against the window. Did he do all of that…just because we hurt his loser mayor?
"We should report him! He'll regret messing with us then!" the Bidoof boy declared, leaning back in his seat.
"Then we'd have to give back what we took tonight and admit to setting the pitfall trap," Laura reminded dully. "Let's just go home and sleep, okay? I'm tired…"
"…Laura?"
Martin leaned forward in his seat, reaching over to shake the Marill girl's shoulder. Soft snores escaped her lips. He drew back, frowning. He took in all the bruises and scratches covering her. A hand rested on his stomach, pain still radiating from the area.
"…We should've never gone back to Chokewood, Laura," he muttered sadly. "I told you we'd only get in trouble. I told you messing around with their new mayor was bad news. So why'd you make us go?"
"Chokewood? My, that name is coming up a lot lately!"
The Bidoof boy jumped, terrified. Then he looked up, seeing an upside-down face with cream-colored hair and black cat ears looking down at him. A shiny golden coin was stuck to the other's forehead. Martin sighed, falling back against his seat in relief.
"Rover! It's just you…"
"Well, it's been a while since I've seen you two," Rover greeted, smiling. Then he blinked, curious. "Are those bruises? You two weren't stealing again, were you?"
"…Yeah," Martin looked away in guilt. "It was Laura's idea. We heard that Chokewood got a new mayor, so we thought we'd pop in to see them."
"A new mayor? How funny!" Rover laughed. "I just encountered a new resident to Chokewood a few days ago! Coincidence much? Who's the new mayor, if I may ask?"
"Some loser Dedenne girl," Martin shrugged. "We sent her falling into a pitfall trap when she tried to chase us after we ran from her secretary. She's such a crybaby, you wouldn't believe it! She even sent her psycho Typhlosion buddy after us 'cause she couldn't get out of the pitfall by herself! He almost killed us! We got away, of course, but still!"
Rover frowned, ears folding back. "Did you say…a Dedenne?"
"Yeah," Martin nodded. "She's a total loser."
"Martin, I should hope you are exaggerating the details of your story because I am certain the mayor you speak of is the new resident I encountered on this very train," the Meowth man said.
Martin froze. "…Oh… Really?"
"Really." Rover abandoned his seat, plopping down beside Martin instead. "Martin, I want you to do me a favor."
"…Yeah?"
"Wake up Laura. I want the truth out of you two," Rover said, arms crossed over his chest. "Though I'm surprised to hear that Tiffany is Chokewood's new mayor, I highly doubt she'd sent a crazed Typhlosion after you. I'm not letting either of you disembark this train until I get the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Understand?"
"…Understood," Martin squeaked, scrambling over to Laura's seat.
Shaking Laura awake, the pair proceeded to tell their tale to the train-bound man. Rover listened with rapt attention, not letting a single detail escape him. When their tale was through, he leaned back with a hum of approval.
"That is very surprising. You learn new things every day," Rover admitted. "But still, I cannot allow such a thing to slide. Your thievery is one thing, but you intentionally caused harm to the mayor of another town. In return, you are both going to—"