Chapter 4: To know each other better.

In the morning of the very next day, way to early for Valdis' standards, Hikui woke her up. Unlike Hikui she decided to spend the night on the money pile, despite Hikui forbidding her to do so, and the first thing she learned that day was that it's not good to sleep on hard and unshapely objects.

"Alright, listen up!", Hikui began. "I have another operation planned for tonight, and I want you to help me with it!"

"Then why getting up so early? Or does time works different around here?", Valdis argued confused.

"You think I sit around in my cave all day?"

"Maybe dancing around your fire place and singing songs."

"I'm an extroverted Meowth, I blend in with the masses and enjoy the day time. Of course, there are still many things someone like can do while the sun is up."

Hikui put his golden pipe in his mouth, for just one second.

"In other words: I do small things during the day, and the real fun begins once the stars are visible. Also, I would like to know you better and see what you can do, so we're going to Baram Town now."

"What about breakfast first?", Valdis whined.

"Breakfast is something you need to earn.", Hikui told her. "First, show me if you're capable to get some yourself."

Just a few minutes later, Hikui realised Valdis had no real concept of how civilization works, or at least this kind of civilization. Valdis went into the opposite direction, deeper into the woods with the reason to hunt critters. Hikui had to explain to her he wanted to go to the market and steal something, either money or food directly.

"You should have told me so!"

"I'm keeping you by my side."

They were not long in town, they didn't even do anything yet, when they heard yelling out of the café at the market place. The Kangaskhan that ran the place recognized Valdis from yesterday. She rushed out, Hikui had to hold his partner back before she could counter attack and the owner reminded Valdis of her meal the day before and demanded the money for it. Because Valdis, of course, did not had any money at this time, Hikui had to pay for her. The day had just started and already Valdis got into trouble and Hikui made losses because of her.

"If you have any more Pokémon you're owning money speak up now.", Hikui told her. He looked at her like a disappointed parent.

Valdis began to think. While she was doing it she had her mouth wide open and her eyes rolled back, making it look like she zoned out.

"Does hitchhiking a Lapras and getting kicked out of that guild down the road count?"

Hearing her answer Hikui stopped being angry at the moment.. He now was rather surprised.

"You mean the Adventurer Guild?"

"I don't remember what they're doing and stuff, but I guess so."

"YOU were a member of the Adventurer Guild?!"

"Me? No! ... almost. I tried to join, that lizard thing from that restaurant told me they're looking for recruits, but apparently I'm not only slower but also much less interesting than a Pikachu with no legs!"

Hikui put his paw on her mouth to keep her quiet. Other Pokémon already began to stare after the Kangaskhan incident.

Hikui was confused when he recalled what she just said.

"Pikachu with no legs?"

"Yeah, no legs, no arms, and uuuugly, I tell you."

Hikui began to think and shortly after realised what Valdis was talking about.

"That thing is a guild member now? ... whatever. Also, that's not a Pikachu, it's a Mimikyu. They just look alike. And an advice for the future: Stay away from the Adventurer Guild and stay away from that Mimikyu or any other Mimikyu."

"Why?"

"Because the Adventurer Guild is working with the police, and my folks often get into more trouble with the guild then with any other group. You would not have fitted in anyway, by the way."

"I meant the Mimikyu."

Hikui slowly took his pipe in his mouth.

"They can kill you by looking at them the wrong way, in one way or another. ... one shudders to imagine what lies behind that mask."

Hikui got awfully quiet, Valdis noticed something was wrong and did not know what to say.

"You know what, you were right, I think we started the day a little too early.", Hikui offered. "Breakfast is on me today."

Valdis followed Hikui further into town to the market square. Various Pokémon gathered at stands that offered all kinds of foods, spices and household items. Fruits, vegetables, cheese, tea, baskets, soaps, and so on. It was not hard to blend in with the crowd, perfect if someone wanted to pickpocket, but Valdis was too amazed of the many different kinds of Pokémon around, and none of them were like her and Hikui.

"So, where do we start?", Valdis asked him after a while. They've been walking through the mass and from stand to stand but none seemed to be of interest to Hikui by now.

"Already got you covered!", Hikui smiled. He had one of his paws behind his back and revealed two bright, red apples. He threw one at Valdis who instinctively caught it.

"Where did you got those?!", Valdis loudly asked in surprise.

Hikui signalled her to keep her voice down and had a smirk look on his face.

"One of my magic tricks.", he answered proudly.

"Oh, ...! You're also a wizard?", Valdis confusedly concluded.

Hikui rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"It's one of the skills if you want to be a real thief.", he answered.

"Magic?"

"To take things without anyone noticing."

Valdis looked at her college quiet unconvinced. She took two or three bite from the apple he gave her.

"Does not make sense to me. Why doing something if no one notices? Someone else could claim it as his or her own doing.", she told him, but her mouth was too full with apple for anyone to understand.

"I have no idea what you just said to me ...", he said.

Valdis swallowed.

"Secrecy and lying is very dishonorable to my folks.", she lectured him.

He took her by her arm and went to a spot that was not so crowed.

"Then we have lived in two VERY different worlds, you and me. But what is honor if you're locked up, ... or worse?", he lectured her on the way. "I know, lying will get you in trouble, but only if you get caught doing it."

This somehow made sense to Valdis.

Hikui stopped and turned around, smiling at her mischievously.

"Another nice trick.", he said, reached out with his paw and seemingly pulled something out from behind her ear. A coin!

"Look what I found behind you ear!", he announced and presented her the coin.

Valdis was not having it and forcefully took the coin from him.

"Give that back!", she snapped at him, believing that coin was actually hers. She put it in her beard, a place Hikui did not dare to reach in. He was not in the mood anymore to tell her how he did it and decided to just leave it be.

They both settled down on a stone bench near the market, Vadlis preferring to sit on the ground with the bench on her back. They quietly began eating the apples, with Valdis having hers half way done and finished before Hikui even took the second bite.

"You were awfully hungry ...", Hikui commented.

"Well, haven't eaten since yesterday.", Valdis answered and tried not to sound like it bothered her. She threw the remainings over her shoulder.

"You told me Northwind Field? That's not around the corner."

"I arrived yesterday morning, this is actually my second day here."

"Runaway?"

"You could say that. I told my mother about going on a great quest and return with riches, she said no, so I went anyway without telling anyone."

Hikui noticed Valdis, party confused, partly bored, partly amazed, now slowly was getting saddened.

"Troubled family?", he asked.

"No, not at all! I just want to become something Pokémon will remember me, envy me, fear me! Just like grandpa: Kuga the Tooth!"

Hikui had no idea who that guy was and told her so.

"Kuga Eiwaz, the Perrserker who could vomit twice as hard as anyone else?"

Hikui still knew nothing and was now even grossed out.

"Oh, boy! Sit down, ... okay you already did, because I'm going to tell you a tale!", Valdis was very all the sudden excited and settled right next to Hikui, who again distanced himself from her. And Valdis began to tell.

"Kuga was my grandfather and the father of my mother. My clan used to be lowborn and not of great importance when he was about my age. He was cursed with a deformed jaw and one very large tooth that always stuck out of his mouth, almost covering half of his left face, giving him his nickname. Because of this, he often had trouble talking and eating and the other Perrserker and Meowth made fun of him. One day, during a festivity, our old Warlord publicly denounced my grandfather. This may wasn't the first time and a this point Kuga finally had enough and in response challenged the Warlord to a duel. Of course he and was very confident, but in the end The Tooth was victorious and thus became the new Warlord of my village. His first order was the banishment of the old Warlord. He was never heard from again and no one made fun of The Tooth either! He then got married to my grandmother and they both had my mother."

Hikui first halfway listened to be polite, but soon got interested, especially because according to her tale she was of noble blood. He also noticed the form of telling.

"You are telling about him in past tense. Did something happen?"

Hikui noticed Valdis had gotten sad again, even sadder than before.

"It happened about 8 years ago: Grandfather was leading a raid on a settlement near Mt. Faraway. Everything went well at first, lots of loot, lots of fun, lots of screaming, and grandfather was in the middle of it all. There was this Scyther, a mercenary or something like that, he wanted to protect the settlers and he and grandfather fought. Grandfather tried to jump over him to get him from behind, he made it, but the Scyther was still faster than he was. It wasn't until he took a step after landed that he realised the Scyther cut both of his feet clean off as he jumped. The raiders were forced to fall back and return home after the incident and grandfather wasn't able to fight anymore. Straight after they returned he ordered to be brought to my mother to talk to her and only her. They did not know if was spying on their conversation. Grandfather told her to challenge him to a duel in order to become the new Walord before someone else could do it and strike him down. She accepted, so grandfather could die in honor and our clan could continue to lead our village. She made it quick, grandfather did not resisted, not like he could do much. It did not watched the fight. My mother became the new Warlord but most of our village did not accepted her because the circumstances were unfair. She was then known as Warlady Saga, the Kinslayer. She never told anyone he told her to do so, for it would damage his honor. The very next day, mother and our soldiers set out again to the same settlement. This time not to raid, but to challenge the Scyther from before, one against one. This time, my mother succeeded, but she spared the Scyther. Instead, she told him and everyone else who she was and who the Perrserker from the day before had been. By defeating my grandfather, the Scyther made a new and more powerful Walord rise to power, making our village more powerful than before. She then left and on her way painted her body green, naming herself 'The Scyther' from this day on."

Valdis began to sob. To Hikui, Valids' family sounded like awfully Pokémon, but he could not help but to feel sorry for her loss.

Valdis took off her ear ring and looked at it as it laid in her paw.

"This one used to be his. He took it as a souvenir during his first raid. He also gave me the ring around my foot as a birthday gift. It was the same year he died.", she said, then gave Hikui and mean look and quickly put it back on again. "These two are of great value to me, more than it is worth in gold! And if you want to take them from me, I swear on my grandfather's grave, you have to kill me first!"

Hikui actually had thoughts about doing it at some point, but now not anymore. He backed off a little more after being threatened.

"Anyway!", Valdis announced and she was smiling at him again all the sudden and folded her paws. "I told you my family history, how about yours?"

Hikui was getting nervous, but Valdis did not notice.

"You're the king you say? Who came before you?", Valdis further asked.

Hikui had to think of something.

"No one.", he answered. "I don't have a family."

"But you have to come from somewhere! Everyone arrives and leaves this world somehow!"

Hikui put is half eaten apple down.

"Somewhere in the middle of the ocean there is a island called Milk Island, a very, very small island. I arrived there in a basket when I was a little kitten, and the woman who ran the islands only store took me in. One day, when I got bigger, the island got too small for me, so I had to leave. And because the island had no schools or anything, I had to teach everything I know today myself, including reading, writing and of course stealing."

Valdis never thought about it. It probably felt strange to not know who your parents where. But Hikui did not seemed to mind. Little did she knew, the other Meowth lied to her. He basically just told her the opening plot of a children's book that came to his mind. His past and family relations were none of her business.

"Are you still hungry?", Hikui asked her?

Valdis looked over at him, then to his apple, then back to him.

"Why, thank you!", she said and reached out to grab the apple. Hikui quickly got it before her.

"I did not meant that! Like I said before, you have to earn it. That apple was on me, you get your own now.", Hikui told her and pointed back to the market. "Show me how YOU would steal something, either food or money to get some."

Hikui saw her eyes shimmer in delight and she began grinning over her face and a creepy way, making him wonder what went through her mind. As she was just about to run off, Hikui quickly grabbed her by her arm.

"But, do it without the one you steal it from noticing.", he told her as serious as possible.

Valdis looked down to her arm, wondering what his problem was.

"Got it.", she answered. Hikui let go and she set off.

From afar Hikui was watching her. She seemed confident, but he prepared mentally that she might not succeed and that they had to get away. She already knew where his hideout were, so it would be for the best if he managed to save her from being arrested if it would come to this.

Valdis, casually, walked back to the market place and began looking around for a possible target

At one stand, a Slurpuff was selling pies and cakes, all kinds of different flavors and sizes. That stand got the Meowth's attention. She approached the stand and started looking at the cream cakes the Slurpuff had to offer. Hikui hoped she would not just take a cake and run off with it, hoping no one would be looking. Instead, after looking at the desserts for a while, she casual walked off again in the opposite direction. First Hikui thought she might was not interest at stealing form this stand, then he saw Valdis turning around and fixing the stand.

"What is he doing?", Hikui thought to himself as she stood there like she was about to run a marathon.

Much to his horror, Valdis began running like mad directly at the stand, Pokémon left and right stepping aside, and then she leaped into the stand and at the Slurpuff's face who in response began to scream and fell onto his back, making Hikui losing Valdis out of sight.

The Surpuff was still screaming, other Pokémon began to scream in shock as well, and Hikui held his head with his paws and could not believe his eyes and ears how hard he overestimated this outcome.

Valdis got up again, quickly jumped back to the other side and victoriously took one of the cream cakes as everyone looked at her, either still in shock or in anger for what she just did. Hikui knew: They've had to get out of here, right now! Especially because now a Magneton appeared out of the crowd and approached Valdis.

"PUT THAT CAKE DOWN RIGHT NOW, YOU CRIMINAL SCUM.", he told Valdis from behind.

Valdis was surprised seeing such a Pokémon suddenly behind her. Surprised, but not intimidated.

"Make me.", she told him.

Wrong answer. The Magneton rose a little bit more from the ground as he already was, looked at the Meowth in a disgusted way and little sparks of lightning began appearing all round he three eyed body. Hikui ran to her as fast as he could.

"Hey, three eye!", Hikui yelled and threw a fistful directly at the policeman. He gasped in surprise and pain in a robotic way and was momentarily stunned.

Valdis just wanted to tell him she just stole a cake, but the other Meowth quickly grabbed her by her elbow and flew, dragging her behind with him as she still held on to the cake. They eventually made it to the border of Baram Town near the north-eastern woods, and Hikui was sure they've lost potential pursuer.

Just as Valdis wanted to tell him about her achievement ...

"WHAT IN ARCEUS' NAME WERE YOU THINKING?!", he shouted at her.

Valdis was not aware she did anything wrong.

"Who?", she asked him for Arceus.

"I told you not to be noticed, and you right out assaulted someone!"

"You only told me to not get caught stealing something from the one I'm stealing from. You can't notice you're being robbed if your unconscious."

Hikui quietly had to admit to himself, partly it was is fault as well. He also realised Valdis was either smart and loved to mess with others or she was just an imbecile. She was latter.

Hikui covered his eyes with his paw in frustration.

"It is not even noon and not only have you managed to make me lose money, but because of your style of stealing 'undetected' we can't go back to Baram Town until the air is clean again. You better be of use to me in the near future, or I ... I ...", Hikui began telling her, but at the end he did not now how to further proceed. He believed her to be a competent criminal, but she was just a brute before, and now he was stuck with her. What should he do? There was the danger of her snitching on him and he can't just "eliminate" someone just because of their lack of skills.

Meanwhile, Valdis was not really listening, took a pawful of cake and stuffed it into her mouth.

"Mmmh! Bananas!"

In anger, Hikui responded by shoving the cake she held into her face, making her trip and fall against a pine tree behind her. Valdis sat underneath the tree, a whole cake in her face, and Hikui standing in front of her in disgust, because he made his own paw sticky and creamy in the process. He took a leaf from a bush nearby and began cleaning his paw.

Valdis slowly removed the cake form her face, ate a little from it, and looked over to Hikui.

"I like that game.", she said, then threw the remainings of the cake at the other Meowth. ... she missed. She made Hikui flinch, but she missed. While Hikui was still shocked at the moment, Valdis began to laugh out loud in joy.

"You're a funny fellow, Hikui! You manage to have much intelligence and still be fun to hang out with!", she laughed.

Her laughing was contagious and so Hikui had no choice but to join in. On retro perspective, what Valdis did to that Slurpuff looked hilarious and so he imitated how she flew through the air and onto the Meringue Pokémon. Hikui knew, things will not get boring so easily as long as Valdis was by her side, and Valdis herself pitied the day when she had no need for him anymore.

Hikui leaned against the tree as he slowly got himself together again, while Valdis was licking off the leftover cake from her body, especially her beard. Hikui took his pipe in his mouth.

"I guess there is not much we can do today anymore, and because I want you to fully understand what we do tonight, I better start explaining now."

Valdis stopped at what she was doing and began to listen closely as she was told.

"My operation will go as following: Baram Town has a SPA, you know, health through water."

"Health trough water?!"

"Anyway, they also offer massages and have various stones. Not the evolutionary ones, stones with healing power like Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Ruby, Lapis Lazuli."

"So, your plan for tonight is to steal some rocks?"

"Gems.", Hikui took the pipe back in his paw. "But the main goal: They own THE largest Lapis known to Pokémonkind, over 100 pounds, blue and smooth."

"So ... we're stealing a boulder?"

"It's not just a boulder: Lapis Lazuli."

To Valdis this sounded like somebody's name.

"I don't understand much about gems and diamonds, but it sounds interesting."

"I mainly need you to take care of the guards when I tell you to, and you need to help me carry that thing. Like I said: 100 pounds."

Valdis felt excited. Not only would they steal something very precious, she would also be finally able to show what her father had trainer her for all her life. He grinned sinisterly and licked some of cream from her upper life. Hikui looked at her doing this and was not so amazed to say the least.

"You're creeping me out."