DAY 4, JUNE 11
It was raining outside when Tiffany awoke that morning. It wasn't pouring, but there was enough rain to make puddles and soak through clothes. It was chilly enough that she wore both her knit shirt and her jacket when she left her tent.
The flag was up on her mailbox, catching her attention. Opening it, she found two letters attached to two packages. Pulling them out and hurrying back into her tent, she pulled the letters free and scanned through them.
The first was from Kirk.
Dear Mayor,
Thanks for fetching Blake for me when I needed him. It was a big help. Here's the reward I promised you. Enjoy!
From Kirk
The second was from her mother.
Dear Tiffany, my darling daughter,
How are you enjoying it in Ashwood, dear? I heard you had a bit of trouble getting there. I'm sure you pulled through just fine, though. You're a smart girl.
It might be frightening, having your own place in a town you don't recognize. I thought I'd send you a housewarming gift, just to make you feel more comfortable.
Moving is a shocking thing, but I'm sure you'll pull through just fine. Don't forget to kick back and relax sometimes. Too much stress will make you cranky.
Most of all, never forget that I love you. I always will. If things get bad, don't be scared to call home or visit for a few days. I sure won't mind.
Forever loving you, your mother
Tiffany felt her eyes tear up. She sniffed, scrubbing the tears away with her sleeve. "I love you too, mom," she hiccupped. I guess she didn't know Ashwood was changed to Chokewood. Should I tell her?
Opening the gift from her mother, she found a folded up blue and white thing. Gently unfolding it and setting it up beside the wall by her bed, she realized it was a table. She smiled, pushing it against the wall for future usage.
Turning to Kirk's gift, she opened it up to find a gaming system of some kind. It still looked to be in good condition and even had a few games.
I guess I'll have to set that up and try it out when I get my house, Tiffany decided, smiling.
Heading back outside, she nearly crashed into Amy. The green-haired girl hopped away with a laugh, a huge grin eating up her face.
"Sorry about that, mayor. Just enjoying this awesome weather!" she explained.
"Maybe it's awesome for you," Tiffany commented, jacket pulled slightly over her head. "Too much water on me and I'll electrocute myself. That would hurt."
"Ooh! Ouch!" Amy flinched. "Sorry to hear about that, mayor. This weather must suck for you, I guess."
"It's fine. I'll manage…somehow," the Dedenne girl shrugged. "At least it's not a thunderstorm or something. I'd be like a walking lightning rod then."
"Maybe you should get a better jacket. One with a hood, maybe?" the Chikorita girl suggested. "I've heard about that Able Sisters place up on Main Street. Maybe they can help?"
"I'll see," Tiffany nodded. "See you later, I guess."
"Yeah. Bye!" Amy raced away into the trees, merrily dancing in the rain.
I haven't visited the Able Sisters yet. Maybe I'll do that today, Tiffany thought, trekking through the rainy weather across the bridge and heading north.
"Not enjoying the rain either, Tiff? Welcome to the club."
She jumped, whirling around to see Blake hiding under an umbrella near a tree. She hadn't even noticed the other resident, her eyes having been on the ground. The Typhlosion man looked pretty annoyed, glowering at the sky, before looking at her again.
"Might want a hood, you know? Rain boots, too. Those dainty shoes aren't going to cut it in rain like this. Be glad it's not worse than this or you'd be in a lot of trouble," he pointed out.
Tiffany blushed, looking down at her shiny black dress shoes. "I get it, I get it! I have to go to the Able Sisters eventually! Will everyone quit saying that?"
"Not until you actually do it," Blake teased, smirking.
"You…! Quit messing with me, you—EEP!"
Waving her shovel around in frustration, she'd taken a step back…and slipped on the wet grass, pitching herself backward. Tiffany twisted onto her side, shovel aimed at the ground to break her fall. A pair of arms suddenly caught her around the waist, yanking her up before she could hit the ground. Her shovel made a loud cracking noise as it struck a large rock nearby.
"Whoa! That was close! You trying to kill yourself or something, mayor? There are easier ways to do that, you know," Blake scolded.
"S-Sorry," Tiffany blushed, pulling free of his grip. "I guess I shouldn't wave that around in this weather, huh? Sure taught me. I'll jus—Huh?"
"What is it?" Blake asked, confused.
Tiffany pointed to her shovel. It was lying on the ground innocently, covered in water from the rain. That wasn't what caught their attention, though.
It was the rock behind it. The rock that had seemingly broken apart when the shovel had hit it. The rock that now lay in many broken pieces around a lump of dark rock with shiny pink gems growing out of it.
"That's like the gem those kids had on them when they were stealing stuff!" Tiffany realized, digging out the gem she spoke of.
"Well, that's a first. Never seen that happen before," Blake admitted. "…You take it."
"Huh?"
"I said 'you take it'. You've still got to pay off your house, right? You need the money more than I do," Blake explained, picking up the gem and shoving it into her hands. "Besides, it was your shovel that broke the rock. You get first dibs."
"I, uh…" Tiffany sighed, bowing her head. "Thank you." She stowed the gems away in her pockets.
"No problem. Like I said, you need it more. I have a house. You've got a tent, plus you're the mayor," the Typhlosion man shrugged. "Use the money to get that house of yours…and maybe a rain coat or something."
"I'll do my best," Tiffany promised, smiling.
.o.o.o.o.
Tiffany gave a triumphant cry as gold bells spilled on the ground from the rock. It had been her third attempt at finding the money rock that morning and she'd been lucky enough to find it again. Inside of it were three bags of money containing 7000 bells combined, along with 1100 bells in loose coins.
"House down payment, you've been acquired!" she giggled, gathering up all the coins.
Once that was done, she headed to Re-Tail to sell some shells, apples, and one of the gems. As Reese crunched the numbers for her, the Dedenne girl glanced at an object on display. It was a tall yellow clothes closet with little red tulips painted on the bottom left corner. All the clothes chatter ran back through her mind.
"I think I can part with 2,360 bells for all of that," Reese declared, interrupting her thoughts. "Will that do for you?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. It will," Tiffany nodded, accepting the money. "Um… How much is that clothes closet?"
"Oh, that? The asking price is 800 bells," Reese replied, going over to it. "Are you interested in giving it a new home?"
"…Yes, I am," Tiffany finally nodded, pulling out the required bells.
"Ah! Wonderful! I'll have it delivered to you immediately, mayor!" Reese vowed, smiling warmly at her.
"Thank you," the Dedenne girl said, smiling back.
.o.o.o.o.
"This spot is reserved for Nigel's new home," Tiffany read, scanning the sign.
She had gone fossil hunting and had dug up quite a few when she'd seen a reserved space close to the town hall. Curiosity made her wander over, checking out the fenced-in empty spot.
Better keep an eye on this spot then. I've got a new neighbor to greet soon, she thought.
She headed north, intent on going to Nook's Homes to pay off her down payment and get her house. She paused, spotting a familiar purplish-blue-haired boy stumbling out in the rain. He had an umbrella tilted over his head and something held in his arms. Kirk looked quite a mess.
"Kirk!" she called, dashing over. "Are you okay?"
"Huh? Oh, hi, mayor," Kirk greeted, giving a shaky smile. "Well, today's been rough. First it started raining. I don't really like rain, you know? Then Percy told me about this thing he really, really needed but couldn't get on his own. So I made it my personal mission to find it for him…and I did, but it took forever and I'm exhausted."
"You should go home. You look ready to collapse," Tiffany urged, slipping under one of his arms to support him.
"But Percy's counting on me. I've gotta deliver this to him," the Gliscor boy argued.
"If it's so important, then he won't mind if I deliver it to him instead. You have to go home and rest," Tiffany ordered, dragging the other toward his house.
"Really? You'd do that for me, mayor? But I already had you go on an errand for me," Kirk complained. "I can't make you do this too!"
"You're not making me do anything. I'm choosing to do this," Tiffany corrected.
Reaching his house, she pushed the door open and helped him inside. Once he'd collapsed on the hammock, he shakily handed over a white gift box wrapped in a green ribbon. Tiffany accepted it without hesitation.
"You gotta deliver it today, okay? He's expecting it," Kirk reminded, rolling over in his hammock. "I'll repay you later."
"No problem. I'll make sure he gets it," Tiffany promised. "Just get some rest, okay?"
"Will do," Kirk nodded, yawning sleepily.
Tiffany left Kirk's house once she was certain the Gliscor boy would stay put. Heading back around the pond to the west and then down south past the bridge, Tiffany soon found a patch of ground with a varnished wooden door set on it. There was a sign nearby declaring the space to belong to Percy.
There was a length of knotted rope sticking out from one end of the trapdoor entrance. Grabbing it, she tugged upward until the door opened. There was a rope ladder extending down a few feet into the ground, which had been dug out to resemble a dirt hallway. Climbing down the ladder and going down the short tunnel, she found a bright wooden door in front of her. She knocked, unsure of what to do.
"Come on in! Door's open!" Percy called from inside.
Pulling open the door, the Dedenne girl stepped inside and gazed in wonder. It was as if the whole house had been purposely sunk underground. There were no windows but there were plenty of brightly-lit lamps and lights decorating the small home. The Bunnelby boy was munching on a salad, seated in a wicker chair with a cushion on the seat.
"Oh, hi! Nice to see you've found my place, mayor. Like it?" he asked, looking around proudly. "Dug it out myself…with Tom Nook's permission, of course."
"You did this?" Tiffany asked, amazed. "All by yourself?"
"Well, most people in my family are expected to be independent and able to do most everything yourself by the time we move out," the gray-haired boy explained. "This is proof that I'm self-sufficient. I can dig my own house all by myself!"
"Wow!" Tiffany smiled. "It's beautiful!"
"Thanks!" Percy giggled, blushing. "So, did you need me for something?"
"Huh? Oh! I have something from Kirk to give to you! He wasn't feeling well, so I made him go rest while I delivered it to you," Tiffany explained, pulling out the present.
"Huh? Really? He actually found it for me?" Percy questioned, hopping out of his chair and putting aside his salad. "Oh, no way! Did he actually find it?"
Taking the gift, he tore it open to reveal a bright yellow desk lamp.
"Yes! I can't believe it! He actually got it for me!" Percy cried, hugging the gift. "I've had my eye on this thing for forever! But I've been broke as heck lately… Thank you so much for making sure it got to me, mayor."
"You're welcome," Tiffany said. "Though you better thank Kirk, not me. He got it. I just delivered it."
"Then I'll just thank you both," Percy decided. "I'll be sure to give you a reward. Just wait until you see what I've got for you!"
"What is it?" Tiffany asked, curious.
"Go do whatever errands you've got today, mayor. You'll see the big surprise when you get home," Percy snickered. "And no peeking early! You'll see soon enough!"
The Dedenne girl pouted, cheeks puffed. "Fine! Be that way!"
Percy just laughed before waving her off, plopping down to finish his salad. Tiffany went out the door and up the ladder, closing the trapdoor behind her.
I wonder what it is he doesn't want me to see, she thought, horribly curious. He said not to peek…so I guess I'll finish all the stuff I need to do on Main Street first. Then I'll check and see what he left me.
The orange-haired girl dashed north toward Main Street, going toward the museum. Bursting in, she smiled as she skipped over to Blathers.
"Hey! I've got some new stuff for…you?"
Tiffany paused, noticing that Blathers was snoring. He was asleep…while standing up. Then the brunette gave a jerk, eyes snapping open.
"Huh? Who?" He looked around before realizing Tiffany was in front of him. "Oh… Oh! I'm so sorry, mayor! I'm quite the night owl, you see. Well, aside from the fact that I'm a Noctowl, which are naturally nocturnal. I get pretty drowsy during the daytime. I'm so sorry that you saw that!"
"It's okay, really. I understand. I should've checked before I just ran in like this," Tiffany admitted, embarrassed. "…You sleep standing up?"
"All the time," Blathers nodded. "I can't sleep any other way. Not sure why, I just…can't."
"Okay," Tiffany said. "Well, I found a bunch of fossils for you to assess."
"Again? My, you find those things pretty fast. At this rate, our museum will be jam-packed full of exhibits," Blathers laughed.
"Isn't that the goal?" Tiffany teased.
"Indeed, it is," the Noctowl man confirmed, smiling widely. "Let's see what you've got here… Oh, yes! There are some new ones here."
He took two of the fossils, handing the other two back to Tiffany.
"We already have these two, so feel free to do with them as you please. I've seen them fetch quite a price at Re-Tail," Blathers suggested.
"Thank you! I'll be back later, most likely," Tiffany vowed, stowing the extra fossils away before dashing out into the rain.
Blathers smiled, watching her leave. The pitter patter of the rain made him feel sleepy again. Yawning, the Noctowl man's eyes fell shut. Soon, he was snoring once more.
.o.o.o.o.
"Ah! Exactly 10,000 bells! I'm impressed you got it so fast, mayor!"
Tiffany smiled proudly, rocking back on her heels. I guess I have to thanks those kids later for telling me that trick with the money rock. That really saved my tail with this down payment thing.
"Excellent! The money now makes everything official," Tom Nook declared, putting away the bag of cash he'd been handed. "Now work can begin on your new home at once. Any particular preferences for color and such?"
"Hmmmm…" Tiffany tapped her chin, thinking it over. "How about…a red roof and light-colored walls."
"I'll be sure to specify all of that. Your home should be ready by tomorrow," Tom Nook promised. "It's been nice doing business with you."
"Same," the Dedenne girl agreed. Even if you would've broke my bank account if I actually had one here.
"Oh, yes! Once your house is finished, I can help you update the exterior. Home remodeling, you know?" the Sentret man added. "Things like your roof, your door, and your fence can all be changed according to your desires at any point in time. I display new samples here every day, so feel free to browse if you grow bored or curious."
"I'll keep that in mind," Tiffany promised. "Bye!"
"Bye!" Tom Nook waved goodbye.
Once Tiffany was outside, she jumped for joy. A cheerful cry escaped her lips. "Yes! I paid the down payment off! I can move into my new home tomorrow! No more sleeping in a tent! Yes!"
.o.o.o.o.
"8,500 bells for two fossils and a gem?!"
"That's correct," Reese nodded. "Is that…not enough?"
"N-No! It's perfect! I didn't expect to get so much for them!" Tiffany admitted, amazed.
"Didn't Blathers tell you they're worth a lot here?" the Girafarig woman asked. "You have met Blathers, yes? I wouldn't want to be buying fossils he didn't have yet."
"Yes, I've seen him. These are fossils he already has," Tiffany reassured. "I've been getting lots of fossils for him lately."
"You have? That's good!" Reese exclaimed. "He was so depressed when the museum lost most of its exhibits a few years back. He was never quite the same after that."
"What happened to the museum?" Tiffany dared to ask, interested.
"Someone chose to set the place ablaze while Blathers was asleep. He nearly roasted in there," Reese explained solemnly. "He escaped just fine, but the building—and thus everything inside—was completely destroyed. Nothing survived the fire. It all had to be torn down and then rebuilt."
Tiffany gasped, hands over her mouth. "Who would do that?"
"Nobody's quite sure. The culprit was never found," Reese admitted sadly. Then she perked up. "Thank you for all your help with Blathers. I'm sure he's very happy to have you around, helping him to rebuild."
"He sure seems to be," Tiffany giggled. "Well, I better go. It was nice talking to you!"
"Same," Reese agreed. "Have a good rest of the day, mayor!"
Tiffany ran back to her tent, deciding enough time had passed for Percy to deliver…whatever it was he had decided to reward her with. Unzipping the flaps and stepping inside, she gasped. Against the wall to her left, across from her bed, was the clothes closet she had bought from Re-Tail earlier. Along the wall to her right was a large silver, robotic-looking dresser.
He gave me a dresser? Tiffany thought, checking it over. Well…you can never have too many places to put clothes. Speaking of that…
As Tiffany headed out of her tent again, her ears perked up. The rain had faded into light drops before vanishing altogether. The rainstorm had lifted, the sky beginning to light up as dark clouds rolled away into the distance. She smiled, eager to feel the sun's warm rays on her face.
Now that I think about it, maybe I should explore some new places now that it's sunny out…like that clothes place Sheila told me about! I can check out the sales and maybe get something new to wear.
Dashing north, collecting some apples and money from the trees as she ran, she dropped by Re-Tail to rid herself of the excess apples before going up to Main Street. Running past Nookling Junction, she stopped outside of a big cheery-looking building, the name Able Sisters proudly painted on the front window. She entered through the nearest door.
The room had a few tables in it stacked with clothes of all kinds. Seated by a sewing machine, working diligently on a flashy dress of some kind, was a young woman with spiky brown hair with a deep goldenrod color on the underside and brown eyes. She wore plain clothes—a white T-shirt, khaki pants, and shoes along with a red and white checkerboard apron. Over her shoulders and cascading down her back with a cloak covered in a light but thick covering of brown quills.
Standing near a table close to the door Tiffany had entered was a similar girl. Her apron was green and white with a similar checkerboard pattern. Much like the Pelipper sisters at the post office, this girl had different colors compared to the one seated at the sewing machine. She had spiky red hair with a light brown underside, a red cloak of quills over her back, and pale red pants. The eyes and shirt remained the same colors as her companion.
"Ah!" the red-haired woman gasped, spotting Tiffany. "Welcome to the handmade fashion palace of the Able Sisters!"
"Oh? We have a customer?" the golden-haired girl asked, looking up. "…Oh! Could you be the new mayor everyone has been talking about?"
"Huh? New mayor?" The red-haired woman looked shocked. "…My goodness, you must be! Everyone in town has been buzzing about you since before you arrived! I wondered when you'd pop in!"
"Mabel!" the golden-haired woman cried, appalled. "I apologize for my sister. She's very enthusiastic about new people."
"No, it's okay. I seem to be the center of attention wherever I go," Tiffany admitted, embarrassed. "Sorry to have taken so long to visit. I've bee—"
"No need to apologize. You must've been very busy. We're just glad that you've chosen to drop in at all, let alone so soon after your arrival," the golden-haired woman reassured with a gentle smile. "Let us introduce ourselves. I am Sable and that's my sister Mabel."
"We're the Able Sisters!" Mabel declared, grinning. "Just a couple of Sandslash that absolutely love clothes!"
"We specialize in handmade clothes, if you couldn't guess," Sable explained. "Of course, our accessories shop is the next door over if that's what you're looking for."
"We're not only a clothing store, though! We'll gladly make brand new designs by request!" Mabel added. "We'll even hold onto designs that you may want to make later. Just ask and we'll be happy to service you!"
"That sounds incredible. I'll keep it in mind," Tiffany promised. "But…if you're Sandslash, then where are your…?"
Sable lifted up a hand, displaying her short fingernails. "We clip our claws so they don't snag our clothes. That'd be an awful way to ruin a design, having threads torn out by our own hands."
"Oh! Of course! That makes sense," the Dedenne girl admitted.
She looked around the shop for a bit, checking out the styles. She wound up finding a few good shirts and pants, along with a thick hooded jacket. Mabel accepted payment for the purchases with a smile while Sable kept sewing away in the corner.
"I think I'll check out the accessories shop now. I'll be sure to come back later, though," Tiffany promised.
"No hurry! Nice to have met you, mayor!" Mabel declared, waving goodbye.
"Mabel, relax," Sable encouraged.
"I can't! We had the mayor in our shop, Sable!" Mabel cried, jumping around in excitement.
Sable sighed, shaking her head as she continued to sew. "We've had the previous mayor in here before."
"But he was old!" Mabel whined.
The rest of the conversation was lost when Tiffany headed outside. Scampering next door, she opened the neighboring door and headed inside of it. There was a hall off to her left that led to a closed door, likely the Able Sisters' shop. Placed on small tables around the room were hats, glasses, and other things.
Standing at the center of the room was a young woman with golden hair held up in a short ponytail and brown eyes. She wore a golden sweater with a brickwork pattern on it and matching pants. A short tail stuck out behind her.
If the Able Sisters were Sandslash…then she must be a Sandshrew, Tiffany guessed.
"Hello," the woman greeted softly, the words almost sounding rehearsed. "My name is Labelle. Welcome to the accessories shop, part of the Able Sisters. We offer our products at very affordable prices. We deal with hats and accessories in this department of the store."
"Ooh!" Tiffany looked around. "So many cool things… Might have to get some later."
She headed for the door, wanting to explore some more. The sky was growing dark outside. Night was coming.
"Thanks," Labelle said, bowing her head.
"No problem. I'll be sure to come back later," Tiffany replied.
Labelle merely nodded before looking away, checking over her stock. Tiffany headed outside, going toward the far western side of Main Street. Two trees, a few flowers, and a bench were there on a point overlooking the sea. She scampered over to the fence, looking at the crashing waves.
Why would my mother ever leave such a beautiful place? Tiffany wondered curiously.
Cora's words echoed in her head. "Even though the town name was changed five years ago, the event that caused it was happening for just over a decade beforehand."
The Dedenne girl frowned, head resting on the rope strung between the wooden posts of the fence. My mother left Ashwood before I was born. Five years ago, it became Chokewood. Over a decade before, that strange taboo event was happening. Fifteen years… My mom left before then…but could it be related somehow?
She sighed, watching the waves race along. Memories of the beach returned to her.
Maybe I'll go to the beach, collect some shells or something, she decided.
Straightening up, she left the lookout point and headed to the Main Street exit, returning to Chokewood's main residential area. She headed southwest until she reached the slope leading down to the beach. The sunset colored the sky a multitude of colors, like someone had spilled paint across it. Tiffany smiled, recalling her first day in Chokewood when she witnessed her first sunset as the mayor.
So much has happened in the past three days, she thought with a smile.
She walked along the beach leisurely, collecting various seashells she found washed up on the sand. There were so many different kinds. She was amazed at the weird things that could wash up from the sea.
A faint buzzing registered in her ear. She dashed away before whipping around, spotting a black spec slowly buzzing after her. Shoving the shells into her pockets, she pulled out her net before slamming it down over the bug. It took a few tries to properly snag the tiny insect before she found success, gently dropping her capture into a glass jar.
"Hah! Gotcha, mosquito!" she declared triumphantly, looking at the bug in the jar. "You're not stinging me tonight! Not this time, anyway."
Collecting a few more shells and dodging around another mosquito, her walk was halted when she saw someone lying on the beach. He was half in and half out of the water, just lying there face down in the sand. With a panicked cry, she shot forward to help the poor guy.
He was tall with short white hair, two pointed ear-like extensions atop his head, and dark eyes. Around his neck was an orange beak-like charm with a black tip. He wore a white T-shirt with a blue trim along the edges and blue shorts ending just past his knees, the edges slightly ragged. Splayed out across his back was a pair of long, thin white bird wings with a blue stripe across them. A short, fan-like tail made of three feathers with blue tips hung limply behind him.
A Wingull? What's he doing out here in the water? Was it an accident out at sea? Tiffany wondered, kneeling by his side and shaking him. "Uh, hello? Mister? Are you okay?"
"Nnnnn…" the man groaned, eyes slowly fluttering open. "Guh… Cinnamon buns are not currency… Not yet, anyway…"
"…Huh?" Tiffany tilted her head to the side, scared. Does he have a concussion or something? I don't think there's a hospital in town, now that I think about it.
"Nah, mom… Just give me…five more minutes…" the Wingull man groaned, head flopping back on the sand.
"Um… Mister Wingull?" Tiffany shook him again.
"Guh…"
Maybe I should get help, she decided, getting back to her feet. "I'll be back, mister Wingull. Just stay here."
She dashed away, going up the slope and searching for anyone nearby. She soon came across Blake, who was watering the flowers near Re-Tail.
"Blake! There's someone washed up on shore! I think he needs help!" she cried.
"Huh? Tiff?" Blake looked up from his watering. "…Is it a Wingull guy? Ragged blue shorts, bird beak charm around his neck?"
"Yeah," Tiffany nodded.
"That's just Gulliver. He pops up every now and then, no need to panic. He's just fine," the Typhlosion man explained, continuing his watering. "It's normal to see him washed up here. Probably fell off his ship again. He'll be gone and then back again soon enough. Don't worry too much about him."
"…Really? He's not hurt or anything?" Tiffany questioned, uncertain.
"Gulliver is just fine. Just leave him alone. He'll vanish in a while and then wash back up in a few days," Blake explained. "Guess one of us should've mentioned him to you."
"Yeah…" The Dedenne girl sighed in relief. At least it wasn't an emergency. Thank goodness! "…Still, shouldn't someone take care of him until he gets up?"
Blake sighed, annoyed. "If you really want me to, I'll go get him after I'm done here. Seriously though, he's just fine."
"Thanks, Blake. That'd make me feel better," Tiffany admitted. At least that guy will be okay.
.o.o.o.o.
"3,330 bells?! For all these shells?"
"Yep! They're a pretty good source of income if you can't get a hold of anything else," Reese explained, accepting the shells the orange-haired girl gave her.
"Oh… I guess I should've done this earlier," Tiffany admitted, gratefully taking the cash the Girafarig woman gave her. "Thank you."
"No, thank you, mayor," Reese countered playfully. "Have a good evening."
"I will!" Tiffany cried, dashing out the door.
Spotting Kirk near the pond, she headed over to see him.
"Feeling better now that the rain is gone?" she asked.
"Eep!" The Gliscor boy jumped, looking over his shoulder to see her. "Oh! Hi, mayor! Yeah, I'm feeling loads better now!"
"That's good," the Dedenne girl smiled. She noted the net in his pincers. "What are you doing? Trying to catch bugs?"
"A mosquito, actually. I kinda want to see if I can keep one as a pet," Kirk admitted shyly. "Been kind of a secret dream of mine as a kid. It's dumb, I know."
"A…mosquito?" Tiffany's fingers bumped the glass jar in her pocket. I should go give this to Blathers…but I saw another down at the beach. They seem pretty common, so maybe… She pulled it out. "Like this one?"
"Huh?" Kirk's eyes lit up when he saw it. "Yeah! Just like that! Wow! You actually caught one! I have trouble because they're so tiny!"
"Yeah, it was pretty hard to catch," Tiffany giggled. "So, do you want it?"
"Seriously? You'd really let me have it?" Kirk asked, shocked.
"Why not? It's your dream, right?" Tiffany reminded.
"…Thanks," Kirk took the jar before pulling out some bells. "Here! I'd feel bad not giving you something for it. 104 bells aren't a lot but…"
"It's okay. Take good care of your dream, yeah?" Tiffany said, accepting the money given to her.
"I will! It's extra special now because I got it from the mayor!" the Gliscor boy declared with a toothy grin.
.o.o.o.o.
"Ugh! Was that thing on me?!"
"I think so," Tiffany shrugged, plucking the flea from her net and dropping it in a jar. I didn't think Steel-types could get fleas.
Cora gagged, shivering. "Oh dear! That's disgusting! I need a shower!" she declared, walking away quickly. "Maybe I got it from Isabelle…"
Sighing, the Dedenne girl looked through the glass jars she had with her. A tiger butterfly, a mosquito, and a flea greeted her. They hadn't been very hard to catch, though she'd apparently distressed her Mega Mawile neighbor with the capture of the flea.
Maybe I should ask Isabelle about the flea later, in case she does have them, Tiffany noted, tucking the jars away in her pockets and shouldering her net.
The town hall wasn't far away. Heading over, she approached the Lillipup girl. "Isabelle?"
"Oh! Hi, mayor!" Isabelle greeted from behind her desk. "Can I help you?"
Tiffany pulled out the jar with the flea in it. "I caught this near Cora. She thought you might have them."
"Huh?" Isabelle looked close at the jar before freezing. "I don't have them, but my dad does. Oh no! Don't say I got them from him!" She dug through her hair and clothes in a panic. "I'm not feeling itchy or anything. Maybe I only had the one and it jumped on Cora earlier?"
"Well, I caught it," Tiffany reassured.
"Just don't lose it. We don't want a flea infestation in town. My dad's working on killing the ones he got earlier," Isabelle explained, keeping her voice down in case anyone else was nearby. "Don't tell anyone he has them, please?"
"I won't. Your secret's safe with me," Tiffany vowed.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" the Lillipup girl squeaked, smiling gratefully.
"No problem," the Dedenne girl smiled back.
.o.o.o.o.
Catching a common butterfly on the way back to her tent, she headed south and found another slope toward a small section of beach separate from the western beach she had been visiting up until that point. She explored it a little, picking up a bunch of shells for extra cash to get later from Re-Tail.
"A dock? I wonder if that Gulliver guy ever brings his ship here?" she wondered, looking at the stretch of wooden dock in front of her.
There was a wire basket tied to the dock. It was empty. It reminded her of the ones used to catch crabs and such.
Heading back up the slope, she headed for Re-Tail to sell the shells she'd collected. After selling the shells, she noticed a familiar face looking around. It was Amy.
"Oh, hey! Nice seeing you again, mayor!" the Chikorita girl greeted.
"All unpacked?" Tiffany asked.
"Mostly," Amy shrugged. "Looking for some bargains here. Some new furniture wouldn't hurt. Mine's pretty old and worn. Plus, bargain hunting is fun. One of the perks of a secondhand shop, you know?"
"Yeah," Tiffany nodded. "Good luck with your hunting."
"Be seeing you around," Amy agreed, returning to her hunting.
Leaving Re-Tail, Tiffany went north to Main Street in order to drop off the bugs she'd caught to the museum. Going inside, she paused briefly at the sound of snoring. There was Blathers, snoozing while standing in his usual spot. Glancing outside to confirm night had fallen, the Dedenne girl gingerly approached him and shook his shoulder.
"Blathers, get up. It's nighttime."
"Huh? Ngh…" Blathers' eyes opened and he yawned, arms and wings stretching tiredly. "Nnn… Night already? Feels like I just fell asleep. Oh well…"
"Sorry to wake you," Tiffany apologized, shoes scuffing the tiled floor of the museum guiltily.
"Huh? No, it's okay. No need to apologize. My sleeping habits are to blame, not you," Blathers reassured. "So, here to make more donations?"
"Yep! This time, I've got bugs for you." Tiffany pulled out the jars.
"Ooh!" Blathers' eyes lit up as he took the four jars, inspecting them all. "…Where'd you get a flea from?"
"That's a secret," the Dedenne girl giggled.
"Ah! Not my place to ask, anyway," the Noctowl man shrugged. "Excellent, excellent! You're really on a roll with these donations, you know. That's good. The Chokewood Museum will be back to its previous glory in no time at all if this keeps up."
"Glad to know I can help," Tiffany said, smiling.
"And thank you very much for doing so," Blathers replied gratefully. "I'll set these up on display immediately."
.o.o.o.o.
"So, you'd like to send two letters to people in Chokewood? Well, I think you remember what to do. Just put your letters in the red box when you're done and I'll have them mailed off promptly," Pelly explained.
"Thank you," Tiffany smiled.
"You're welcome!" the Pelipper woman replied.
Tiffany pulled out two letters she had written only a short time ago. She scanned through them, making sure she had said all she had wanted to say to them.
The first was to Percy.
Dear Percy,
Thank you very much for the dresser. I wasn't expecting such a large gift for a delivery job. Thank you very much.
Sincerely, Tiffany
The second was to Amy.
Dear Amy,
I'm glad to see a new face in town. Thank you for moving here. Now I'm not so alone in getting used to this new place.
I hope you enjoy it in Chokewood. I'm sure we'll become good friends.
Sincerely, Tiffany
Dropping both letters in the red box, she smiled before heading out of the post office. The sky was a deep indigo color and the wind was growing colder. Night was upon Chokewood once again.
The Dedenne girl raced home, eager to see what tomorrow would bring.