"Balance is key to stealth," Jet exposited, pacing back and forth on the training deck. "To become invisible to the enemy, you must have complete control over your movements. Every step you take must be purposeful, no accidents. There is no vertigo or imbalance, there is only the path before you that you must complete. Understand?"

"Y-Yes sir!" the rookie scouts grumbled as they tried to walk across a field of bamboo shoots. They wobbled all over the place, trying to avoid the sandy ground under them, contained within a large container.

"You guys seriously have a giant bucket specifically for this type of training?" Ragger asked, carefully putting one foot in front of him.

Jet smirked. "Any further complaints will be taken up with the heads of construction and development."

"So, Tank and Pandora?" Lucient surmised.

"Correct."

Lillia skipped between two bamboo shoots, flailing her arms upon landing. "In what possible situation where would we need to walk across bamboo?"

Jet shrugged. "Who knows? The point of this exercise is to maximize your balance. If you can run laps around this little course without flopping like a beached Magikarp, you're one step closer to mastering stealth."

Melissa groaned as she stepped on the next shoot. "My feet are beginning to hurt."

"You've got five more minutes, tough it out," Jet responded.

Melissa rolled her eyes. "Ugh." She glanced at Leon as he tried to step on the next shoot, but his stubby legs didn't provide the necessary reach, causing him to slip and fall in the sand. "You okay, Leon?"

Leon pulled himself up and shook the sand off. He glared at her. "I don't need your concerns." He climbed out of the training course and went to brush the sand off his body.

Melissa sighed. "What is his problem? I am just trying to be friendly." Kenny stepped beside her and patted her back, though nearly causing her to fall over as well. Kenny grabbed her uniform and righted her back up. "Whoa! Whoa. Uh, thanks for trying, Kenny."

Wyatt balanced on one leg while Avel tried to do the obstacle course on his own. As a Shellder, maneuvering was complicated. His only feasible appendage, his tongue, provided enough reach to stick close beside his mobile partner. "Sir, this is torturous. I operate better as a support for Wyatt. I can't possibly keep up with these extraneous obstacle courses."

Jet crossed his arms. "You two won't always be working together. Eventually, you'll find yourselves in a situation where you're separated and unable to support each other."

Avel rolled his eyes. "I don't see that happening in the foreseeable future." He hooked his tongue around Wyatt's arm and flung himself onto his lily pad.

Jet sighed. "You've been warned." He faced the rookie scouts and said, "Listen up, as this is your introductory course into the advanced training, things will only get tougher from here. We'll be going on more intense missions than simple food runs. I trust you all can manage yourselves in a fight."

"Does that mean we're taking on slave traders or big time gangs?" Ragger asked excitedly, slamming his fists together.

Jet rolled his eyes. "More like petty criminals and territory distribution."

"Lame!"

"Say what you will, but the Foresters have an impact on the poor. When the knights are too unreliable to provide suitable support, we step in and provide what the poor cannot get. That includes food, blankets, security, and more. We do make a big deal about this, especially with the flock of travelers coming this way."

"How so?" Lillia asked.

Melissa flailed her arms as she tried to step onto another bamboo shoot. She sighed in relief once she got her footing, then responded, "If I am correct in my assumption, this is about the war going on in the farther reaches of Virdis."

Jet nodded. "Correct. People lose their homes because of the fighting out there. The lucky ones fend for themselves until they find their way to a safer community. The rest get sold off to slavery or executed. Thought the royals play a huge part in the troubles you here, it's the nobles that occupy and govern those villages that truly cause issues. They respond to the whims of the hierarchy."

Ragger groaned. "That political stuff gives me a headache."

"I don't like it either, but that's the kind of thing you hear these days. Money brings out the worst in people, and status drives home the pretentiousness."

"So, our first mission is some charity case?" Leon asked dryly.

"Not exactly," Jet said. "For our first mission, we're going to patrol some local villages in the Verde territory to run off any thieves. You'll be assigned with a different Greenwood Leader to survey a village."

Wyatt cracked his knuckles. "Hey, anything to protect the innocent."

"Cracking skulls is more I like it," Ragger said with a big grin.

Jet sighed. "Whatever motivates you to stay on task." He looked up at the sky, then said, "Okay, time's up."

The rookies groaned and collapsed into the sand pit. Melissa sat up and rubbed her aching feet. "My foot just barely recovered from its injuries. You do this to torture me, do you, Jet?"

Jet shrugged. "Who knows? I do it so often to everyone, I can't tell if it's sadistic glee or stern obligation." He walked away from the course.

Melissa pulled herself out of the course and plopped down on her back. "I will need to rest for a few…hours. Wake me for dinner."

Lillia grabbed her hand and sat her up. "Oh, don't be a drama princess, Princess."

"I have to say," Lucient stated as psychically pulled the sand from his fur, "it's odd seeing you and Jet being…amicable with each other the last couple of days. It's a welcomed change."

"It's a much needed change after the screaming match last week," Avel grumbled.

Melissa blushed sheepishly and hid her face. "We are hardly friends, but the air is much cleaner between us now."

"Good for you!" Lillia exclaimed, slapping her on the back and knocking her down. "Next, you should try your luck with Leon."

"Never going to happen," Leon grumbled, walking past them.

Kenny helped Melissa to her feet and made gestures with his hands, then stretched over his head in a celebratory fashion. Melissa looked oddly at the Cubchoo, then responded, "You know, this would go along easier if you just open up to me a bit." Kenny immediately facepalmed.

Lucient raised his brow at this. "Melissa? You are aware he's mute, right?"

"He is…what?"

"He can't speak. He's using sign language."

Melissa blinked, then looked down at Kenny, who gave an annoyed nod of confirmation. Melissa sucked her lips in and looked ahead, now trying to hide the huge blush growing over her face. "Well…I certainly feel stupid." Her friends snickered at her expense while she whined and crouched down, hiding her shame.

Right as they got themselves ready to leave, Wyatt noticed something zipping through the air. "Huh? Oh. Incoming!"

Melissa raised her head and saw the others crouching down. "What's going—" Suddenly, a Ribomee smacked right into her face and knocked her on her back. She sprawled across the floor with one leg twitching in the air. "The world hates me so much…"

Lucient stood up, then narrowed his eyes at the Ribombee occupying herself on Melissa's face. He noticed the camouflage scarf and tiny satchel she wore, then smiled. "All good. It's just Petra."

"Petra?" Lillia stood up, then gasped with delight. "Oh my gosh, it is Petra! She evolved! Aww, just look at her!"

Petra, the Ribombee, peeled herself off Melissa's face and sat on her chest. "Phew, good thing that was a soft landing." She tilted her head at the dazed Buneary and gently poked her chin. "You alive?"

"Ugh…" Melissa groaned.

"Ah, good." Petra scrunched her face up at the Buneary. "Wait a minute…"

Lucient laughed and stood beside Melissa's still form. "Welcome back, Petra. Having trouble adjusting to the new wings or something?"

Petra fluttered her wings, then stood up. "No, they're fine. I ran into a little trouble with my last run, but I evolved at the last minute and managed to evade my pursuers."

"What happened? Did they know you were a Forester?"

"Uh, hehe…" Petra looked away with a sheepish blush. "No, that wasn't the problem."

Ragger walked over and smirked. "Let me guess, you stole some pastries from the bakery again?"

Petra pouted. "They were tempting me with gooey goodness!" She groaned and held her stomach. "I'm still hungry."

"How a small fry like you could have a bottomless stomach is beyond me," Ragger mumbled.

"Um, ahem. Guys?" The rookies suddenly remembered that their messenger friend was still standing on Melissa's chest. Melissa rubbed her aching head and asked, "Can someone explain why a Ribombee crashed into me?"

"Ah right, you two haven't met yet." Melissa tilted her head back and saw an upside-down Jet approaching them. "Melissa, this is Petra Anker. She's our official mail carrier, and enemy to our food supply."

Petra crossed her arms sternly. "You go through a crate one time, and you get labeled for life."

"It was seven times."

"Six and a half, tops."

Jet rolled his eyes. "Anyway, she's in charge of passing messages along between our informants, providers, or any scouts currently on missions."

Melissa sat up and rubbed her head. "So wait, that means…?"

"She's passed through the Verde Kingdom multiple times without being detected, yes."

Melissa deadpanned. "I will make note of that for the future."

Jet picked Petra up by the scarf. "Glad to see you evolved, too. Don't worry about the rookie, she's too soft to break."

"That was either a compliment or an insult, and yet I feel offended either way."

Jet rolled his eyes, then asked, "So Petra, why the speedy landing?"

Petra pulled from his grasp and hovered in front of him. "Well, as it turns out, I ran into the right person." She pointed at Melissa. "This one's in serious trouble."

Melissa's ears stood on end. "Say what?!"

Jet glared. "You've got to be kidding. What did you do on the food run?"

"I did nothing, I swear!" Melissa glanced off to the side. "Oh no, did my fake voice mistake me for a wanted bandit?!"

Petra shook her head. "It's…not that kind of trouble." She reached into her satchel and pulled out a neatly folded square of paper. "Jason might want to see this." She handed it to Jet.

Jet unfolded the square into a full sheet. His eyes widened in shock for a moment, then narrowed with annoyance. He suddenly seized Melissa by the wrist and dragged her off the training deck.

"Ah! Where are you taking me?" Melissa demanded, flailing her free arm. "Jet! Answer me!"

The rookies and Petra blinked at them, then Petra shrugged it off. "Guess she is as whiny as everyone said." She quickly followed after the two.

Lucient glanced at his teammates and asked, "Should we be concerned?"

Avel sighed. "That girl has been here for two and a half months and keeps finding new ways to get herself into trouble."

Upon arriving in Jason's office, Jet, Melissa, and Petra patiently waited for him to finish examining the paper. Blitz stood beside Jason, waiting patiently as well. Petra managed to snag seven bread rolls from the mess hall along the way. She shoved a whole one into her mouth and swallowed without difficultly, much to Melissa's disgust.

Jason finally sighed and leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I expected something like this to finally come up."

"Should I be worried?" Melissa asked.

"In a matter of speaking, yes." He passed the paper across his desk, allowing her to see it.

Melissa's color drained instantly upon realizing what it was. "A bounty…for my retrieval?!"

Jason nodded. "The king finally gave up on the search party. He must really want you back to take drastic measures like this."

Blitz held his chin. "He's sourcing out to any bandits willing to hunt us down."

"Bandits, Freaks; anyone low enough to carry the task out."

Melissa gawked at the bounty's reward. "A hundred thousand bits for my safe return?! What is my father thinking?!"

Jet looked over her shoulder. "Yeesh, and he has a personal interest in whoever 'kidnapped' you, too. Triple the profit."

"But I kidnapped myself!" Melissa shrieked.

Blitz smirked. "So, if you were to turn yourself in as the kidnapper, would you get the reward?"

"Now is not the time for jokes!" she yelled.

Jason nodded. "Indeed. This might prove to be a serious problem for your field training. Even though it's unlikely any commoner will recognize you given your sheltered background, any and all Buneary are now the target of interest. And if any of them find out you've allied yourself with the Foresters—"

"—the ramifications against your father may prove disastrous," Blitz concluded. "It'd be the scandal of the century. It'd be one thing for a noble to take up arms as a knight, but for a princess to reject her status to become a thief? That could cause problems."

Melissa clenched the paper tightly in her hands. "This is terrible. If I am found out for this, even if I am to reclaim my title to the throne, my reputation among the noble class may cause revolts."

Jason looked at Petra and asked, "When was this announced?"

Petra shoveled down her fifth bread roll, then said, "News spread pretty quickly from the Verde Kingdom. Two days, in fact. It reached as far as Verde's allied kingdoms, even reaching notice among the territories in Senbo. There is talk of nobles in those territories taking up their swords to hunt the Foresters down, something about marrying the princess for their heroic rescue."

Melissa groaned. "Oh great, I have become a damsel in distress."

"And with how fast the news is spreading, it's likely it'll even reach the ears of other kingdoms, too. We may have a serious dilemma on our hands. Every bandit, noble, or criminal we ever vexed will take this as a prime opportunity to eliminate us. Or even the notice of warring kingdoms."

Jason clenched his teeth. "A widescale search for one princess. It could jeopardize our missions if bandits are actively searching for us now."

"What do we do, then?" Blitz asked.

"We could get rid of Melissa," Jet said nonchalantly.

"Hey!" Melissa yelled.

Jet smirked. "Kidding, kidding." He glared. "But seriously, Melissa just became a liability for us. We could deal with King Penworth's wrath within the confines of home territory, but now we potentially have the entire region with their sights set on us. One group of bandits tried to confront us for a personal vendetta. What's stopping more from coming?"

Jason sighed and pressed his fist to his cheek. "Do you propose a plan?"

Jet nodded. "It's in our best interests that Melissa should be barred from field missions."

Melissa gasped. "What?"

Jet crossed his arms. "The second anyone sees you're a Buneary, they'll hunt you down. And once they identify your allegiance with us, chaos will break out in Verde. Innocents may get caught in the crossfire if we go about this incorrectly."

Jason closed his eyes and sighed. "Jet makes a valid point. Though it doesn't look like a bright future, keeping Melissa out of their sights is the best course of action."

Melissa shook her head and yelled, "Wait, hold on a moment! Do I not get a say in this?"

Jet glared. "Don't be an idiot, Rookie. This is your life we're talking about. If you get yourself caught, there's no telling what'll transpire afterwards. You said yourself you wanted to eventually take over your kingdom. I doubt the nobility will want to follow a known thief."

"I understand that, but I worked so hard to earn my place among you all. Should we at least be sure it does not come to that?"

"Melissa," Blitz interjected, "while I understand where you're coming from, this isn't up for discussion. You're still new to this. There are dangerous criminals out there who will want that bounty for than anything. You won't last long out there."

Melissa pouted. "I am stronger than I look."

Jet scoffed. "Don't take your little victory a couple days ago as an excuse for pride. The only reason you held your own was because you had me to compensate for your weaknesses."

Melissa growled. "I got a few good hits off that guy! Do not sell me short yet!"

Jason sighed. "No arguing, you two."

Petra swallowed her last roll, patting her stomach, then asked, "Well, like you said, they won't know she's the princess since she has been sheltered her whole life. Maybe a disguise would serve some use."

Melissa and Jet pulled from their argument and repeated, "A disguise?"

Petra nodded. "Something a little fancier than a cloak. Maybe a mask, or a big scarf or…oh! Or maybe a whole new identity!"

Jason narrowed his eyes. "Elaborate."

"Think about it. The princess was rumored to be a timid, cowardly girl who had absolutely nothing noteworthy about her."

"Thanks for the boost to my self-esteem," Melissa grumbled.

"But any actor can change who they are with a simple change in persona. Maybe if Melissa puts on a convincing act, she could trick a bandit into thinking she's someone so radically different from the princess that no one would suspect her as a Forester."

Jason raised his brow. "Would that even work?"

Petra shrugged. "I don't know. Rumors work in mysterious ways."

Jet sighed. "Regardless, it's too much of a risk. We can't have someone babysitting Melissa's every move on these field missions. And I'm certainly not wasting my time on it."

Jason leaned back. "I suppose then—"

"Wait, hold on!" Melissa exclaimed, gathering their attention. "I can handle myself if you just give me a chance. How long do you plan on keeping me cooped up here if you do not want me on field missions?"

Jason glared. "Rookie, you've become more of a liability than before. We didn't have a manhunt of this size dangling over our heads. If I were any less understanding of your goals, I would've dumped you over the walls of your kingdom."

Melissa stamped her foot down angrily. "Give me a chance or something! I promise, should anything go wrong, I will take full responsibility for it. But I will not let that happen. You have got to let me settle things myself. I have enough training to defend myself. I fought bandits a couple days ago."

"While tied to me," Jet added impatiently. "Ugh. Sir, this is ridiculous. She's going to get herself captured if we let her out on missions. If someone even remotely realizes she's the princess, there's no telling how the king or anyone for that matter will react. The king might just set the entire forest on fire."

Jason was in agreement with Jet and more than ready to pass his final judgment when he took one last look at Melissa's defiant expression. Though she had spunk, she lacked self-awareness in his eyes. She was too stuck on her own ideals to assess what may happen. Too shortsighted for her own good. Shooting down her demands would be an act of mercy beyond that.

However, a part of him had to pity, perhaps commend, her resolve. A coward she was, yet she was willing to face the scum of the underworld to prove a point. Admittedly, there was no telling what may happen should she go out on the field. Foresters did a lot more than just collect food and dispense it to the poor. They made themselves known by pushing back criminals and striking fear into wicked hearts.

Jason stroked his chin in thought. Above all else, it's foolish to send her out while she's still inexperienced. Jet mentioned the other day she may have a budding talent for tactical thinking, but how far ahead can it get her? If she's brilliant enough to compensate for a lack of skill, would she be fine? I imagine hanging around Basil or Pandora stroked a creative side to her as well. He glared. And we still don't know the full extent of her Inherited Will. She barely knows how to use it. It's an unreliable tool for now.

Jason closed his eyes and huffed. Then again, given how Nature Spirit training is done, perhaps I'm crazy enough to test the odds. I've had plenty of hotheaded rookies surprise me before. Perhaps the princess can back up her resolve.

"Rookie." Melissa straightened up, looking surprised. Jason cupped his hands together and rested his chin on them. "When I allowed you to train here, I wanted to see you fail just to prove you weren't ready for this life. However, you've exceeded my expectations in your exams and your grit. Though you are inexperienced, we all had to start somewhere. I had to learn this stuff the hard way before I created the Foresters."

Melissa narrowed her eyes. "Does that mean…"

"Under the condition you keep a low profile or try to throw off any suspicion that you and the princess are separate entities, I will allow you to take on field missions."

Melissa gasped, then grinned ear-to-ear. "You mean it?"

"You better know what you're doing."

Melissa bounced on her toes excitedly, then bowed. "I will not let you down, sir!"

Jet raised a skeptical brow. "Is this really a good idea, sir?"

"Probably not, but I trust you'll keep an eye on her."

Jet sighed, then bowed. "Of course, sir."

Blitz crossed his arms. "We could start out small if we need to."

"That's exactly what I have in mind." Jason stood up. "Petra, returned to your duties."

"Aye!" The Ribombee turned to leave, but stopped and fluttered back to Jason's desk. "Oh, forgot this letter!" She placed it in front of him. "News from Verde." She saluted, then darted off.

Jason picked the letter up and opened it. After skimming over it, he narrowed his eyes and immediately pocketed it.

"What was that about?" Melissa asked curiously.

"Confidential information. Jet, Melissa, continue on with your training period. And Jet, make sure she's physically fit before we have you all sent out on a mission. I'll make sure wherever I send you doesn't have any high bounty criminals in the area."

Jet nodded. "I'll whip her into shape in no time." He grabbed Melissa's hood and dragged her out. "Let's get a move on."

"Again with the pulling?" Melissa groaned. She smiled back at Jason and exclaimed, "I will not let you down, sir! You have my word!" The two disappeared through the curtains.

Jason sighed, then stepped away from his desk. Blitz crossed his arms and asked, "Are you certain this is the best course of action? There are a lot of high profile criminals out there. Grim Deadlock, Spring-Loaded Harriet…oh, and how can I forget that Althalos fellow we're still tracking down?"

"Those first two don't operate around the Verde territories, and I doubt Melissa will get herself mixed up with Althalos. Eadwulf hasn't found anything on him in the areas we frequent, so it's safe to say he's not there."

Blitz sighed. "So, you're building up Melissa's confidence by having her go after a random pickpocket?"

"With Jet watching over her, we can offer a bit of a challenge." Jason headed for the door.

"And where are you off to?"

Jason looked over his shoulder and said, "Where else? To the up-to-date expert on the criminal underworld itself."

"Mwuahahahaha!" Pandora spun around in her chair and beamed at Jason. "My glorious leader, I'm so glad you came to me. I assure you I will offer all my valuable expertise to this assignment."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Don't make a big deal about it, Pandora. You occasionally do business in the criminal underworld, correct? I need you to map out all big gangs in the areas we frequent. I'm having Melissa do a mission in one of those areas to start her off."

Marie, laying in her hammock and polishing her dagger, asked, "You sure that's a good idea? I've been hearing Melissa's a wanted woman now."

Jason shook his head. "Her father finally put out a bounty to retrieve her. It's either we get her ready to defend herself or go back to that ransoming plan."

"Screw the ransom then." Marie sat up. "I'm not giving up my favorite bunny to those filthy street urchins." She twirled the dagger between her fingers. "Maybe we should hook her up with one of Pan's gadgets. The sight of it alone will send any criminal running for the hills."

Pandora grinned. "If you want scary equipment, then do I have some great designs for—"

"Pandora, focus," Jason scolded. She pouted and went back looking through her files. "As leader, I need to be certain Melissa's in a controlled environment. If anything bad happens to her, it'll be on my conscience."

Marie smirked. "I didn't know you cared so much." She stepped out of her hammock and hobbled over. "Guess she's finally rubbing off on you."

Jason sighed. "I'm giving her a chance. I'm not expecting much."

"You said the same about me when we first met. You remember that day, right?"

Jason narrowed his eyes. "Pandora, I need to speak with Marie in private. Keep looking up those records."

"Can do!" Pandora yelled back.

Jason pulled Marie outside to the back of the hut, giving them ample privacy. With that assured, he sighed and pressed his back to the wall, sliding down onto his rear. Marie plopped down next to him, crossing her arms behind her head. The stern expression Jason always seem to wear fell. A calm, perhaps even sad expression replaced it.

"You and Melissa are different. She's not ready to fight. You were leagues ahead of her in combat."

"So why allow her out on field missions?"

Jason looked down. "I can empathize with her feelings. Compared with everyone, she's the weakest Forester, yet she's willing to throw herself into danger to reach a goal. Can't say I don't know what that feels like."

Marie nodded. "Why the doubt with me?"

"It was less your skill and more your trustworthiness. You weren't exactly a morally decent person when we met."

"Those days are behind me now. Not like I can do anything with my leg all messed up."

"Have you ever tried?"

"I can only fight for so long on one leg." Marie glanced at him. "That's why you're hard on everyone, though. You want to bring out their best so they don't fail or throw their lives away, just like you almost ended up doing." She cupped her cheek and hummed. "How long did you say it was? At least twelve years ago?"

Jason sighed. "I was a stupid kid. Nearly threw my life away."

"I can't blame you. You were hurt and angry." Marie sighed. "At least you were saved before you crossed that line. I've already had my dance in the dark."

"I hope I can temper Melissa's naivety with a mission. Have her face bandits on her own and see what follows. Whatever happens could determine how she grows as a Forester. I do want her to succeed."

Marie smiled. "I think we all do. You shouldn't put so much pressure on yourself. You don't always need to be the tough guy." She chuckled. "It's kind of nice you would let your guard down around me. When we met, you kept an especially close eye on my actions."

"Well, I've learned to trust you. Not a lot of rookies here know how much you've done for us."

"And I prefer to keep it that way." Marie sighed. "I'm happy working in the fort and offering support. My days of fighting are done."

"Do you miss it?"

"There's a lot of things I miss, but…what's the point in looking into the past anymore?" She smiled. "I'd ask you do the same thing. Loosen up a bit more."

Jason shook his head. "I have an image to upkeep."

"If you say so. Still, if you know what's best for Melissa, I support you. I'll do what I can to bring out her potential. She's got a long way to go, but there's hope for her. Who knows? Maybe she will see her dreams come to fruition."

Jason nodded. "I wouldn't mind that. It's foolish, but…I wouldn't mind."

Marie sighed and looked up at the sky. "Speaking of foolish things, I got the Simisage to talk. He spilled the beans on Althalos, though not much on the guy himself."

Jason glared. "Marie, that information is supposed to remain within closed walls. You can't just—"

"—openly talk about it, yeah, yeah. Relax, I know there's no one nearby. I've done this kind of stuff years before I met you." She glared. "Anyway, I got a critical piece of information out of Marlo. Apparently the reason Pasco was designated to handle the cargo trade for Althalos was due to their trade in alchemy."

Jason raised his brow. "Jet and Melissa mentioned him using alchemy when they fought him."

"They needed someone close to the trade to handle their particular cargo. That alone says tons about what they could've been transporting."

"Potions?"

"Who knows? I couldn't get him to pry out what it was exactly, but it must be super important. All I know for sure is that Althalos has connections with parts of the ruins. Marlo said Althalos works closely in those parts. Apparently some important benefactor sets up meetings in that area."

Jason's eyes widened before shaping into a glare. "That means…"

"Althalos' working under someone else."

Jason glared softly, then sighed. "Well, that explains this letter I got." Jason pulled out the letter given to him by Petra. "Theobald imprisoned himself as our mole."

Marie glared. "He took the fall for us, huh? I never understood that guy. Does he have anything to do with Althalos?"

"No. I know he and Althalos are on opposite ends of this situation, that much is certain." Jason grimaced at the letter. "But to get himself willingly imprisoned…he's up to something. He's been looking into this same conspiracy. Perhaps letting himself take the blame is a part of his own agenda. Can't imagine why, though."

"Hmm." Marie looked up for a second, then clicked her fingers. "Right. One more thing I managed out of Marlo."

"What?"

"Althalos does indeed operate under a gang." She faced Jason with a grim look. "According to him, they're a wanted gang found close to the outskirts of the Algus Kingdom. They've killed many people. If a bandit who tried to invade our territory, and knowing the risks, is scared of these guys, I can't imagine what they might have up their sleeves."

Jason glared. "Did he mention where they are now? Who they are?"

"They never gave a name. If I could get my hands on one of them, maybe I can pull the information out myself, unless your personal archives have any records of notorious gangs in Algus territory?"

"Maybe, but it's so cluttered, I don't know where to start."

"So, for now, we have next to nothing on whatever gang they're in."

"If we can isolate one of their members and match them with a gang, we'll be able to find out Althalos' true identity." Jason glared. "And I rather not have the rookies go anywhere near their operations. If there is a gang we need to watch out for, we can't have the rookies cross paths with them. It's too risky."

Marie nodded. "Right. Yeah, I get that." She glared. "Still, what do you suppose is in those crates."

"Something that may very well explain why Virdis is in such a corrupted state right now." Jason looked up to the sky. "I suppose that's another reason why I want to keep Melissa safe. Her goals and mine…though I oppose the monarchy, our ideals align with each other."

Marie smirked. "You should show this softer side of yours more often."

Jason closed his eyes and smirked. "Shut up."

Grimebrook, Wick Kingdom Territory…

It was a slow day in Grimebrook, with business rocking by at a Shuckle's pace. Local taverns went by on an easy day, helping what few customers were presented and lazing around for the rest.

One saloon in particular was still in the midst of cleaning up the aftermath of a rather intense brawl many days ago, courtesy of a drunken Dreadnaw and a punch-happy Hakomo-o, whose whereabouts are currently unknown in town. The atmosphere of annoyance could be felt off the employees, but at least they could get by easily since they were only serving one group today.

In fact, the saloon basically emptied itself the second this group entered. Though none could explain, a sinister feeling persuaded all paying customers to flee as soon as they could.

The group of six took to the second level, seated by the balcony and enjoying their meals and ale. They mostly sat by in silence, minding their own business. A Gligar played with the chamber of his revolver, spinning it around and aiming at the wall, making firing sounds with his mouth. He had a blindfold over his face with his left eye partially uncovered.

The Wigglytuff seated next to him, who was picking at her teeth after a meal, winced and grumbled at the annoying clicking of the spinning chamber. "I swear, if you don't stop playing with that there gun, I'll send you over the railing," she growled.

The Gilgar rolled his one visible eye and holstered it. "Put a sock in it. I just got it greased."

"I'll dump you into some if I hear it again." The Wigglytuff finished picking her teeth and tossed the toothpick onto her plate. "Anyway, why are we here again? We've been waiting for hours."

"Althalos needed to check something regarding our…recently disposed employees," a Poliwrath seated across from her said. He tipped the wide-brimmed hat he wore up and narrowed his eyes. "You remember that chump, Big Pasco?"

Wigglytuff rolled her eyes. "That obnoxious prick? Yeah, what about him?"

Seated next to Poliwrath was an Absol, casually reading a book. She sniggered darkly. "You recall his little brush with death some time ago? I heard a rumor the Demon of the Foresters nearly killed him."

Wigglytuff sighed. "Get to the point or else."

"Well, Althalos wanted to make sure Pasco's underlings weren't keeping a secret stash of the goods for themselves. We can't have them misusing the cargo we worked tirelessly to protect."

"How did you forget this?" said a Throh seated beside the Poliwrath. "We went over this before we left."

Wigglytuff rolled her eyes. "I was catching up on some much needed sleep, obviously."

Throh rolled his eyes. "Of course you were. Pay better attention during meetings."

Wigglytuff smirked. "I'd like to see you try. I'm sorry, how many fights did you beat me in again?"

"I could easily crush you with this whole saloon if I wanted to."

"Oh, I believe you. I just don't give a shit."

"Settle down, both of you," a Sawsbuck finally interjected. Due to the climate of Wick Kingdom, the leaves of his horns withered into browns and oranges, sticking him within his Autumn Form. "Try to be a little respectable when in public."

Wigglytuff smirked. "Afraid we'll embarrass you?"

"You've done plenty with the obnoxious way you eat." Sawsbuck shivered. "Seriously, have the decency to close your mouth when you chew. No one wants to see that."

Poliwrath huffed. "This is boring. I want to find someone to fight. Maybe I could rough someone up and start a bar brawl." He tried to stand, but Throh shoved him back into his seat.

"You will do no such thing. The boss won't be pleased."

Poliwrath rolled his eyes. "Stuck up bastard…"

Gilgar looked over the railing in his boredom, then spotted a cloaked figure entering the saloon. "Look alive. I see the boss."

The goons settled themselves and sat up straight in their seats. The cloaked figure ascended the stairs and glided smoothly to the free seat at the table. He sat down and clasped his large, gray hands together. The gang leaned in, staring the hooded figure into the single red eye glowing from within the darkness.

"Sorry for the wait," the cloaked figure known as Althalos said. "I got held up looking into our former business partners."

Gligar glared. "I take it they were clean?"

"I wouldn't know. We have other issues to discuss." His red eye narrowed slightly. "It seems after Pasco's tragic encounter with the Foresters, his gang went into hiding. I asked around, but no one has seen them these past couple of days."

Wigglytuff sneered. "So, they're on the run?"

Poliwrath cracked his knuckles. "Nothing we can't settle." The two started to rise from their seats, but Althalos raised his hand.

"Marsaili, Rogier, stay seated." The gang members glared, then reseated themselves. "No, this is a different matter entirely. I got the information I needed. They apparently left town a few days ago."

"Now why would they do that?" the Wigglytuff, Marsaili, asked.

"Reliable sources tell me they were following a wagon out of the town. A small group made off with some goods, probably food."

Absol put her book down and scoffed. "So, they went stealing? Big whoop."

"Now why would a gang of well-off alchemists need to steal food?" Althalos chuckled throatily. "My dear, that's far from the case. No, I presume they left for a different reason. Why would they pursue a group of travelers? To do that, you would need a reason. Hunger wasn't their motivation, I doubt so. It's almost as if they knew the group, or rather were familiar enough with them to pursue. Now, tell me, who do you suppose they would have any interest in pursuing at this time of the year? Any guesses?"

The group scratched their heads, mumbling half-hearted response like 'nobles' or 'an astray uncle who owes them twelve bits'. Throh, thankfully, was able to figure it out. "The Foresters."

Althalos nodded. "Correct." He sighed and shook his head. "Darn fools. I can imagine they went to avenge their boss, or perhaps a foolish attempt to thin their numbers. I imagine they've been swiftly defeated and carted off to some prison."

"Why would the Foresters be here, though?" Gligar asked.

"While I believe the Foresters have means of growing their own food, it wouldn't surprise me if they had secret providers. That, itself, is useful information for us."

Rogier, the Poliwrath, glared. "But boss, even you warned us about going after the Foresters. You said we needed to stay out of their sight so we can conduct business."

"While that's been true in the past, recent news has swayed me to take a new approach." Althalos pulled a rolled-up poster from his sleeve and tossed it onto the table. "Are you familiar with the recent news that's been spreading?"

The gang's eyes collectively widened as the bounty unfurled itself. "Sweet baby Mew! That's a lot of bits!" Gligar gasped.

Marsaili grinned greedily. "And all we need is to return the princess? What a steal!"

Absol snickered. "Why stop there? Maybe we can ransom her off and make even more money—"

"No." The gang looked up at Althalos, glaring hard on them. "We will pursue the bounty as it is stated. I wish not to trouble myself with Verde Kingdom. It's been months since Princess Penworth vanished. I will not risk riling His Majesty up just to satisfy our greed."

Marsaili pouted. "Boo to that…"

"Shouldn't we focus on our operation, though?" Sawsbuck asked. "Though the money is nice, boss, we're behind on production now that our old employees are canned."

"I'm aware of that. This will merely be a simple side operation. The Foresters are dangerous, but they haven't dealt with Pokémon like us. It won't take much effort. Amos, Marsaili!"

The Gligar and Wigglytuff straightened up. "Yes, boss?"

"You're both tasked with drawing the Foresters' attention. Don't engage them directly. Use your heads before you attack. I've heard tales of bandits getting their pride shoved up their rears for their ignorance. I won't have members of my own crew succumb to the same fate."

Amos scoffed and whipped out his revolver. "Like that'll happen."

Marsaili cracked her knuckles. "We'll send them packing and get the princess' location out of them."

"Good." Althalos stood up. "Best we head off. You two stay here and work out a plan. The rest of you, we're heading home."

Absol pocketed her book in her saddlebags, then smirked cruelly at her two cohorts. "Try not to screw anything up, you two." She winked, then followed after the others.

Marsaili rolled her eyes. "Rotten bitch."

Amos tugged on his blindfold, slipping it over his eyes. "Can we perhaps plan this little attack during the night?"

Marsaili shook her head. "There's no telling when they'll get here. I'm not waiting six or seven hours to strike just because you're too much of a wimp when the sun's out."

"You know very well I fight better in the dark!"

"You can fight just fine in the middle of the day, grow up."

Amos sneered, but decided to drop it. "Whatever, that's hardly the concern for right now. How are we going to get the Foresters' attention?"

"We could stab someone," she suggested with a shrug. "Drum up some drama, hold the town hostage…"

"All tempting ideas, but they lack the…subtly."

"Oh really? Got a better idea, genius?"

Amos tapped his chin for a moment, racking his brain for solutions. Referring back to what Althalos mentioned, an idea bubbled to the surface. "The boss mentioned something about the Foresters having generous providers, right?"

Marsaili raised her brow. "Yeah, so?"

Amos spun the chamber of his revolver and chuckled. "I say we leave our calling card and let nature do the rest." Though blindfolded, he aimed his gun over his shoulder and fired.

A scream sounded from below as a Manectric waitress collapsed to the ground, clutching her bleeding foreleg. A wisp of sand swirled gently around the collapsed victim before scattering with the wind. Her tearful sobs and screams did nothing to wash off the delightful grin Amos wore.

"I hear a sandstorm coming their way, my dear Marsaili."