Episode 7: Ruby's First Date

The next few days blurred together like routine. Shelly's good breakfasts, hours of marching, the occasional fight against feral Pokémon, and when the sun began to set, they'd go off-road to camp for the night, where Ruby and Shelly would sneak off for training. Crystal snuck after them to see if she could learn a thing or two, but wound up admiring their activity more than actually practicing herself.

Before they knew it, the silhouette of their destination was close enough to tell that it was a city. Ruby couldn't help but walk near the front today, excited to explore the place and see a new setting. Crystal waddled beside her, just as excited.

"Is it just me, or is it kinda chilly over here? Are you guys okay?" Ruby asked as a cold wind ruffled her fur.

"It is colder than I'm used to, but it's only the wind. The sun's still warm and all," Lucca agreed.

"That's right. Girage Fields is by the sea, so you'll get a lot of coastal winds. Lucky Crystal, the only one with a scarf," Azu commented, making the Piplup blush. "I'm just happy to finally get somewhere. We were actually starting to run out of food."

"I wonder whose fault that is?" Ruby snickered.

"Hey you eat a lot, too," Lucca defended himself.

"I'm a growing girl, I'm allowed to!" she giggled.

"After finally getting to the bottom of your weight issue, too," Crystal rolled her eyes and sighed. Ruby growled at her, while Mimia happily yipped at them.

The city was surrounded by a large river that went out to sea from the side they would enter. A single bridge served as the entrance. As they walked across, they had a clear view of the sea and an island in the distance. Crystal and Ruby gasped as they jumped up the guard railing.

"Wow, there's so much water! And it's so blue," Ruby remarked.

"It just goes on and on, yet it's so pretty," Crystal whispered in amazement. The way the sun shimmered off the top of the water made it sparkle, which in turn made Crystal's eyes sparkle, too.

"You two never seen the sea before? Don't go jumping over now. That water's got to be deep," Azu warned.

"How deep are we talkin'? It just looks like a really big Lillistep River," Ruby said. She couldn't take her eyes off it. Her amulet flashed and made her jump, and Angel swirled out of it to stand beside them.

"You see that island in the distance? That's your destination. You'll find the second trial there," Angel stated. "That's why I told you guys to find a boat. If you can safely cross the sea there, you'll have no problems."

"Angel… do you know where we'll find a boat, though?" Crystal asked.

"Heck no!" the Togekiss squeaked, and then flew back into the amulet.

"Yeesh, she's so helpful. Whatever. It's a city with lots of Pokémon, there's bound to be something here to help us, right?" Ruby said.

"We could ask a Pokémon to fly us over the water, too," Shelly suggested.

"Good thinking. Well, I was going to suggest something," Lucca began. He appeared nervous now that all eyes were on him. "Cities are way bigger than I expected, and it looks kind of crowded, too."

Ruby didn't realise right away, either. The moment they got on the bridge, the population rocketed. Species of all different kinds walked or flew past them in both directions. Looking into the actual city too, there was a crowd of Pokémon. A group their size would have difficulty sticking together.

"I was going to ask… since you're more used to stuff like this, Miss Azu, would you show me around, please?" Lucca proposed.

"Me?" the bunny shifted back.

"Yeah! I-it could be fun and stuff. There's lots you wanted to see too, right? We could go together, and check everything out." Lucca said. Mimia barked and growled a round at him. "What's your problem? Where did that come from?"

Ruby cocked her head at his aggravation. It was clear that Mimia was more upset than usual. The way he growled and barked this time, it was almost like he was ranting about something.

"Okay now you're just being silly. I'm not asking Azu out on a date, I'm just asking her if the two of us could… look around to see the city…" he argued, going quieter with every word. He rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "I can see why that could be seen as a date now, actually. Oops."

"Wait a minute, a date? Lucca, what about me?" Ruby squeaked. She jumped on his back and hugged up to his face.

"Ruby—" he said.

"I've never been to a city before. What if the two of us looked around instead? Shelly and Crystal could go together, too," she suggested.

"Me and Shelly?" Crystal asked unsurely. She glanced at the Oshawott, who flinched and hid behind his paws, leaf flashing pink. "Um, can we focus? I don't know what's gotten into you, but it's better we stick together, isn't it?"

"Na-uh. Lucca said it before, we could have some fun! Let's take a load off, get some good food, see the sights!" Ruby said cheerfully. "There's lots of stuff here. I'd get lost without a big strong hero to guide me."

"Huh?" Crystal slumped. "You're acting really weird, Ruby."

"I'm not bein' weird, you're weird!" she snapped.

"I agree, but me and you'd get lost on our own. I wanted to go with Azu," Lucca said blankly.

"You won't take me?" Ruby asked, putting on her best adorable expression. It didn't look right with her eyes open.

"Sorry. I asked Azu first," Lucca stated.

"Oh," Ruby turned away.

Crystal slapped her face and shook her head. "I can't believe we're really arguing about this. If Azu's the only one who knows her way around the city, then shouldn't it be a given we all stick together?"

"I don't actually know my way around here. I've never been to Girage Fields before," Azu admitted quietly. "I'm surprised anyone would really ask me out, though…"

Mimia started barking again.

"Mimia, you know your way around? That's great! He can help you guys look around. Let's make a plan and meet back at an inn later. It's an easy plan," Lucca suggested. Now Mimia was stomping his feet as he shouted and pouted. "Okay seriously buddy, will you cut that out? Other Pokémon are looking at us!"

Nervous glances at a few onlookers made them turn away. Mimia still snarled and pouted about it, though.

"Shouldn't I be the one who gets the last say in this?" Azu pointed out. "Our big group would cause problems in the crowds. So not only does it help if we split up, it really could be fun. I'm absolutely certain there are things that each of you want to check out."

"You'll really take me?" Lucca put his flippers together.

"You have to listen to me, though. Someone's got to keep you out of the shop situation," Azu stated, hands on her hips.

"Aw man, the shop again? Was it really that bad?" Lucca sighed.

"Yeah. it really was," Ruby answered.

"Oh and get off me," he groaned.

"Nah. I like it here. You're comfy," she sunk into him. Lucca growled and thrashed a bit to throw her off.

"When I think about it, there's something cool I can show you. I may not know my way around, but I do know some attractions the city's famous for," Azu smiled. "I think you'd be interested, Lucca."

"Hmm? What is it?" Lucca asked with a smile.

"It's a surprise now, silly. C'mon, let's go," Azu walked off, smiling cheekily.

"Wa-wait a minute, what about…?" Ruby muttered. Her heart sunk as the duo seemed to completely forget about her presence. "U-um, guys! What about the plan? A-and, er… I really wanted to—"

"Ah, I almost forgot! Shall we meet by the town entrance in a few hours? We'll sort out the inn and supplies," Azu suggested. "Crystal, you have the money from our fights, right? May I take about three thousand Gald?"

"Uh, sure," Crystal muttered, handing her the pouch.

"Are we really doing this? Lucca, you're really gonna leave a helpless lil' lady like me on my own?" Ruby whined. There was a long silence, and not one member of the group had sympathy on their face. "Wow guys. Just wow."

"You're the last Pokémon I'd call a helpless little lady. If anything, I'm counting on you to take care of everyone else! Not that you'll get into trouble," Lucca said.

At least I'm being given SOME responsibility. I'll take that as a compliment, but… gods, can't this guy take a hint? What nice stuff could Azu give him? Ruby pouted in her head, looking up at them. A few more instructions were given, but she zoned out to them. Lucca was clearly excited about getting to be alone with Azu for some reason, or at least, that's what it looked like. This was the first time since arriving in Vergrace that he had that soft, cute smile of his.

Ruby stood there like a lemon, with the whole world blurring besides Azu and Lucca. As they disappeared into a dark blur straight ahead, it felt like something in her chest was leaving her, irritating her. She clutched her chest and shivered, not knowing what to say, do, or feel.

"Ruby?" Crystal cried, pulling her back to reality.

"Who what when where huh?" Ruby gasped. "Oh er, we're just standin' around here, huh? How much money did he leave us with?"

"Are you okay? You got sorta weird there," Crystal tilted her head.

"I'm fine, it's nothing! Y-you're the one actin' weird. Whatever, let's just go! Somewhere," Ruby replied. Mimia barked and bumped her, and then walked ahead with a stern march. She took it as him wanting to lead the way, which was fine for now. She knew he was strong.

The crowd situation was even worse than they were warned. Not long after entering, the roads became noisy streams of Pokémon far taller and bigger than they were, and they marched at a robotic pace. Ruby couldn't see over or beside the burly figures of Machamp or Rhyperior families, and was irritated as Scizor, Mawile, and other sharp Pokémon brushed her as they passed. She was able to hug up close to her party though, and Mimia soon directed them hard to the left, where there was a park bench in a tiny square of grass free of the public.

Guess this is why it's called field, Ruby realised as she took the moment to scout around.

The ground was all grass cut so short that that it felt like walking on fur. All of it also had a yellow colour to it, matching the dry, orange buildings and dusty street signs. No matter where she looked, it was a maze of buildings with crowds of Pokémon flowing down the roads between them, and behind that, another layer of the same thing. Muffled chatter constantly filled the air, but she could make out salesmon clapping and shouting about their wares, too.

"Geez, there's like a gazillion buildings here. How're we supposed to find anythin'?" she complained. "So much of this stuff looks the same, too."

Mimia barked again, bringing her attention to a bulletin board in the middle of the square. It was a map of a section of the city.

"Oh. This place is so big it has a map. So it's more like a dungeon than a place Pokémon can live," Ruby muttered. Mimia made a round of noises directed at her, and they sounded calm and endearing. "Yeah uh… I never got what you were saying when you do that. Sorry, gonna have to talk normal if you wanna tell me something."

Mimia whined.

"There's no need to be mean about it. I guess he's asking where we want to go from here," Crystal replied, tilting her head.

"Whoa, you can understand Mimia?" Ruby said.

"That's amazing, Crystal," Shelly praised.

"Well no, I can't either. But I did notice that Mimia tends to sound different based on what's going on," Crystal pointed out. Mimia yipped happily. "Like now, he sounded inquisitive and we're looking at a map, so I assumed he would be asking us about it. Other times, like when we're out in the fields, he might sound angry to warn of feral Pokémon coming."

"That… actually makes a lotta sense. I feel stupid for not getting that. It's kinda obvious," Ruby grumbled. Mimia yipped and made a few more noises toward her. "That wasn't you callin' me stupid, was it?"

"Wouldn't be inaccurate," Crystal teased. Shelly giggled, and Mimia yipped.

"Wow guys, seriously?" she spat. Hmpf. Shelly's laughing with her which is a step toward my end of the bargain, at least.

Ruby traced a paw across the map as she looked at the different landmarks pointed out. If we're just meant to play around today, I wonder if there's any cute scenes I can put them in? Don't go too big Ruby, Shelly's still a weakling. Just something to make Crystal notice him better.

"That fat Cyndaquil again of all the places!" a grown up gasp came from behind her.

"You're telling me," added a grownup girl, too. Ruby paid little heed at first, but noticed familiar, dirty red scales rushing towards her and turned. It was Smokes the Charmeleon, coupled with a Wigglytuff. One look at the latter made her wary, and she shifted back.

"Ah!" Shelly gasped.

"You're that kid, aren't ya? Yeah you are, that mad kid who didn't drown in the river. Ya made it outta that big mess?" Smokes pointed at her. He shook both claws. "Actually, don't answer. Of course you could make it here. If being thrown in a river, knights and fires couldn't kill ya, I doubt a little trip to here could."

"What's that about? Being thrown in a river? Knights and fires?" the Wigglytuff inquired.

"It's nuthin, just a little throwback between me and the mouse," snickered Smokes. "Fancy meeting you here, pipsqueak!"

Ruby hardly paid attention to his mockery. She was too drawn to the Wigglytuff. This Pokémon's absurd size and attractively round appearance was a brilliant mask for what she could sense underneath. This Wigglytuff carried an axe that matched her height on her back, and had a constant aura of vigilance. They were far stronger than any first glance could have implied, and she couldn't begin to imagine how strong. If someone so much as tried to pinch her, there was no doubt Wigglytuff would crush them.

"U-um, do we know you?" Crystal asked. Mimia walked between the two groups, but didn't say anything.

"Oh oh, it's okay everyone," Shelly gasped. "It's... erm, ah, an old friend. H-her name is Kusha. The lass is Kusha."

Shelly's friend is this brute? Who the heck is she? Ruby glanced at the Oshawott in horror.

"Oh, you made friends already. The other Shining Warriors, I presume?" Kusha smiled. "Nice going, I knew you could do it. Seems like your journey's fully under way."

And she knows that we're the Shining Warriors. She's… no ordinary girl, Ruby turned back to Kusha. I'll never admit this out loud, but I hope we never have to fight this thing.

"No way. A little squirt like him knows a supersize like you?" Smokes commented. Kusha gave him a look. "Just being blunt."

"There's something going on with the knights. They're these big metal Pokémon that patrol cities like this. You might've seen them before," Kusha began.

Ruby turned away. "Those guys. They're trouble."

"You know them?" Kusha asked.

"They attacked our village on the day we left home, but we don't know why. We just know they're bad guys," Crystal replied.

"I figured. They're doubling down on a search for certain Pokémon. Meanwhile, they mass hired for some huge construction project in the east. I'm investigating, but something else important has come up," Kusha stated. "It seems there's not much room for me to help you out here, so might I ask a big favour in return?"

"O-oh, you could help us!" Shelly said. "Can you still fly? M-me and my friends need to get to Van Aken."

"If it's just you all, I might be able to manage. Might. You might be too heavy," Kusha replied, and starting giggling. "Silly Shelly. You just wanted to fly with me as a balloon again, didn't you?"

Shelly blushed and turned away, and Ruby gave him a sceptical look. "Weirdo."

"She really can fly, though. It's really cool," he mumbled.

"If you need to get across the sea, I'll see what I can do to work something out. You won't have to give me long. But er, do you really want to go back there?" Kusha asked.

That perked Shelly up "Ah- er it's just… that's where one of the trials is. We need to go there. For the first time."

"Hmm?" Kusha replied. Shelly shook his paws desperately, and was silent but flustered, his leaf a light blue. "Well okay. I get it. I'll get to work on that right away, anyhow. For me though, I had an investigation into an ancient artefact."

"Oh, great. More old stories," Ruby groaned.

"I get you. It's a long shot, but I assume because you Shining Warriors are attached to ancient legends and stuff like that. Have you ever seen or heard of the Armlet of Transmutation?" Kusha asked.

"The Armlet of Transmu-what now?" Ruby replied.

"Transmutation. That's hardly a big word," Crystal rolled her eyes.

Kusha unveiled a small notebook and showed them a drawing. It was a gold bracelet adorned with lots of jagged edges. Mimia made a curious noise at it.

"Oh my gosh, wait I actually have seen that thing before. Isn't that the thing I got for Smokes that was buried in the river?" Ruby gasped. "Don't you still have it? You said you'd only sell it if you ran outta money."

"Ack, that old thing?" Smokes choked and jerked back.

"Wait are you serious? Do you actually have it? That's what I approached you for in the first place," Kusha turned to the Charmeleon.

"Well if that was the case, what was the point in bein' so roundabout with askin' me for a job?" smokes cried, tugging at his bag. "Grr, it's mine though! If you want it, ya gotta do me a favour, too. Since we're handin' out favours, might as well, right?"

"I'm not so sure about this. You're kind of shady," Crystal admitted.

"Not kinda. He is shady," Ruby corrected.

"Phew, I wasn't wrong," Shelly sighed.

Kusha hesitated to comment, and was quiet. "Alright. I'll ask what it is, first."

"Should be easy for a supersize like you. You kids shouldn't follow either, the grownups are talking!" Smokes stated as he directed her back into the crowds.

"We're kinda involved here," Ruby groaned.

They went around the other side of the bulletin map and closer to the edge of the city, were there were a number of boardwalks on top of a large sandy area. It was a lot less crowded here, but there were still enough Pokémon to fill the air with chatter and footsteps.

"C'mon, where were you where I last saw you," Smokes rambled as he impatiently scouted the area. He pointed to large gazebo shaped like a Smeargle's head. "Aha! Found you."

"A… restaurant?" Ruby tilted her head.

"Not just any restaurant. Captain Smeargle's Pizza Parlour! Most famous place in Heroica," Smokes cheered, raising his claws. "Fancy sharin' a meal? We can split the bill."

"… Yeah, that's shady as heck. How do we know you're not gonna run out on us?" Ruby challenged.

"Pah, I could pay for a meal here on my own if I wanted to!" he argued. "It just… eats into my savings a bit. Yeah. But what's a meal with old friends, huh? Once rivals, now buddies."

"You tried to drown me in a river! We aren't buddies," Ruby cried.

"Goodness, that's horrible!" Kusha remarked.

"Gah, don't shout shit like that! It's water under the bridge," Smokes objected.

"Not funny," Crystal groaned.

"Uh-um, what is a pizza?" Shelly asked. Smokes gasped exaggeratedly.

"You kids have never had a pizza before? It's a food of the gods, I'm tellin' ya!" Smokes bragged. "Soft but hot bread smoothed with a layer of tomato, then a thick, stringy layer of cheese."

"Cheese?" Ruby perked up.

"Uh oh," Crystal said.

"Yeah, and not some run-o-the-mill Kecleon shop cheese, either. I'm talkin' the freshest stuff, straight off the farm. The fancy shit ya can smell from another continent away!" Smokes rambled. Just the image made Ruby drool. "Captain Smeargle paints toppings with a tail that draws ingredients rather than paintings. The beauty with pizza is you can put any other food you like on top of it, and it completes the thing."

"Anything?" Ruby asked.

"Fruit, meat, veggies, you name it baby," Smokes rambled. The more he listed things off, the nosier Mimia got.

"Even more cheese?" Ruby added. She didn't realise her eyes were open now.

"Heh heh. Sounds like the four cheese is right up your alley," Smokes pointed coolly at her.

"This is a really bad idea!" Crystal warned.

"It sounds delicious, though. What's wrong with it?" Shelly wondered.

"The food is fine, it's," Crystal trailed off, sneaking a glance at Ruby.

"Not that I have anything against fancy foods, but will you really give me the armlet if we share a meal with you?" Kusha inquired, unbothered.

"Oh the favour wasn't to share the meal. That's only part of the favour," Smokes snickered.

"What're we waiting for? Whose hungry?" Ruby bounced. Crystal moved to say something, but her stomach growled, so the Piplup sighed in defeat.

"This is gonna be a disaster," Crystal hung her head.

"Crystal, do you not like pizza?" Shelly wondered.

"I can eat it just fine. That's not the problem. Just, never mind," she said, sweating.

"Hmm? What could be the problem?" Shelly tilted his head.

One hour later…

"I-I think I'm starting to see the problem now," Shelly staggered with an awkward smile.

"Phew. Okay, I'm done," Ruby gurgled and let out a small, fiery burp. She fell backwards, rubbing her belly contently. "You weren't kiddin' when you said it was the food of the gods."

"It's a magic food for sure," Smokes snickered.

While the group had each shared two pizzas between them, Ruby had eaten four alone. She knew that fattened her up to the point she could barely move right now, but in her eyes, she could pay for it later. The important thing now was she had a new favourite dinner.

"The way you inhaled all that, one would think you're the Stufful hibernating for the winter," Kusha commented. Mimia grumbled at the comment. "So Smokes, about this favour of yours for the armlet."

"Right right, yes, the poster was actually in here. There's a wanted guy I wanna take down 'cos it's got a huge reward that'll make this meal feel like it came for free," he explained. "Problem is, the guy's a water type. I don't need to explain the rest, do I?"

"You want me to help you catch an outlaw? That's no trouble at all, especially if they have a wanted poster of information on him. Should've shown me in the first place," Kusha smiled. "Although… it's a bit silly that you're worried about a type disadvantage when we can't use moves."

"Knew it. You're a babe, y'know that? Help me catch that guy, and the armlet's yours. I get to keep the reward money too, yeah?" Smokes smirked. Mimia barked.

"At least share some with the kids," Kusha rolled her eyes. "But you may, as long as I get the armlet. And before we start, show me."

"Fine, they get a cut," Smokes groaned as he shuffled through his bag. He presented the armlet, in perfect condition just like when Ruby found it. Seeing it in reality again brought on a strange feeling of eeriness. This was a huge bracelet with very unclear markings, and the idea that Suzie was concerned about its disappearance meant it was more than meets the eye.

"I'm a Charmeleon of my word. Help me take down the criminal, give me a seventy-five percent cut, and the armlet's yours. I'll have so much money I won't need to fall back on selling this thing in emergency," he promised.

"Sure, we'll go after 'em. Just… gimme a minute. Or ten," Ruby burped quietly again. Crystal hid herself in embarrassment, while Shelly giggled.

"Gives me a chance to excuse myself. I'll be right back. Poster's by the entrance, if you want to check it out while ya wait," Smokes said, pointing at it as he stood up.

"Ugh. Don't take too long," Kusha rolled her eyes. Crystal got up too, looking for the poster. The moment she saw it, her flippers covered her mouth.

"Crystal?" Shelly said, hearing her gasp. She didn't move, so he waddled over, only to have nearly the same reaction.

"Ruby!" Crystal practically screeched, making her jolt. Kusha and Mimia were finally alarmed now, too.

"What could possibly get you guys in such a rowdy mood…?" Ruby groaned as she came over, too. The moment she saw the poster, her heart stopped.

The poster had a horrendous drawing. There was no doubt about it, however. It depicted a blue figure holding two gold swords, with a pink nose, pigtails, and what looked like a dress. Ruby's eyes shot open and wavered as she dared to read onwards.

Wanted: Luca. Species: Brionne. Male. Believed to be at least twenty years old. Last seen with a group of six. Identified by a Shining Warrior amulet. Wanted dead or alive. Assigned by Heroica Knights. The reward was a number she couldn't read, but there were a lot of zeros.

Wait, Lucca's a grownup? Ruby gasped. All surroundings went dark, now. The way he behaved, she couldn't believe it. Several scenes replayed in her mind, but nothing made sense. All she knew now was that if that predicted age was anywhere near right, she had been a fool since meeting him.

"He's so old," she whispered. Of course he wouldn't notice a stupid kid like me…

"What's wrong with this?" Kusha asked. The moment she spoke, Ruby gasped and flew back to reality. "I mean, it's not the worst drawing I've ever seen, but it is pretty bad."

This was no time to be worrying about potential boyfriends. Ruby growled and flared her back. A wave of gasps filled the room, but a quick glance at the public made her stop. She tore the poster from the wall and stormed out.

"Ah, Ruby!" Crystal cried, but she didn't wait.

"Girls, you didn't- oh my gods, do not tell me they're the ones walking out on paying," Kusha squeaked. Shelly popped up beside her, groaned, and then impatiently counted coins. He left more than their meal on the counter for the surprised chef, but still ran out. "Wait, Shelly that's too much- what about Smokes? Gosh, what is going on?"

Before Ruby could sprint into the crowd, Mimia barged her over, barking incessantly. "What's your problem?" she shouted.

"Calm down!" Mimia ordered. Ruby's eyes widened and she gawked at him.

"W-we need to think about this. Azu didn't tell us where they were going. Where are we supposed to find them?" Crystal cried.

"Ugh. Good point," Ruby growled and turned away. Mimia was still barking at her. "What? I told ya, I don't get you unless you speak properly."

Mimia growled a response, and then dug through his belongings. He sniffed at one of their folded tents, then at the air around them.

"Oh yeah, your doggie senses! You could find 'em in no time," Ruby remarked, getting a peppy yip in response.

"I'm not sure we can find them in such a big place, though," Crystal tilted her head. Mimia barked a few times and then charged off. "A-ah, Mimia!"

"He seems sure of himself. Let's go," Ruby nodded.

"Wait, girls! What about—" Kusha gasped as even Shelly ran off without her. "If I'm piecing this together right… Well, I know how to find Shelly. I guess it's my job to keep an eye on that shady Charmeleon."

The city didn't seem so crowded now that they were sprinting through, or maybe it was the help Mimia was getting from the other Pokémon. He barked incessantly, making the crowds and roads of Pokémon stop and make space, but only out of surprise. Crystal apologized profusely as they passed, while Ruby found it slightly funny.

It stopped being funny when they sprinted for a long while, though. The group passed a children's park, a huge pond, an even a street lined entirely with market stalls and shops. The range of tasty smells and fun laughter that came from it all made it hurt to ignore, even though she knew she had an important task to focus on. If everything got cleared up, she hoped she could come back to it all.

Then it stopped feeling like a holiday by the time Mimia reached a destination. The whole group was a panting wreck, sat on the ground while waving their paws like white flags. Ruby was so exhausted that she couldn't speak, and Mimia being unaffected by it all only made her feel even more tired.

"Okay… what is this place?" Ruby asked, finally catching her breath. It was a huge hall that reminded her of the casino back in Lillistep: gaudy and lined with posters all over the walls. "Chaos… t-hee-atree?"

"Theatre! When did you forget how to read?" Crystal cried.

"I didn't. I've never seen that word before!" Ruby snapped. Mimia barked. "Whatever, guess they're inside."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Crystal groaned as they wandered in.

"There's even more food in here," Shelly pointed out, noting popcorn and sweet stands, each stationed by Alcremie and Slugma. There was a Glalie preparing icy products too, while a lone Indeedee stood between red VIP barriers and a hallway.

"You're not still hungry, are you?" Crystal asked. Shelly squirmed a response and blushed. "After all that cheese…"

"Hey, I could still go for whatever it is they're making. It smells so good," Ruby licked her lips.

"If you eat anymore, you're going to explode! Besides, we need to focus. We need to find Lu- er, you know who," Crystal complained.

"For someone who doesn't fight because she's a weakling, you're awfully authoritative," Ruby argued.

"What- how do you know what authoritative means but not theatre?" Crystal cried.

"I dunno, how do you know how to use a bow but don't know how to fight?" Ruby raised her voice.

Crystal sighed. "Forget it."

"That… wasn't very nice, Ruby," Shelly commented, to which she gave him a nasty stare.

"At least someone gets it. I'm not going crazy. Thanks, Shelly," Crystal grumbled and turned away.

"Don't push your luck," Ruby said as he tried to hide a blush.

Mimia started barking again, making the Indeedee usher nervous. There was clear incentive to push past, but the Indeedee held his hands forward.

"Please, you mustn't raise a ruckus. What's the problem? May I help you?" Indeedee asked, flustered as Mimia kept trying to squeeze past him.

"We need to get through to find our friend. It's super important, we're talking life or death over here!" Ruby bounced eagerly.

Indeedee glanced down the hallway behind him, then scratched the tuft of fur on his head. "The show's just starting, and they explicitly drilled me not to let anyone through once the show starts. Are your parents here? If there was a grownup with you, I could be a bit more lenient."

Mimia barked even louder, and his face was fierce.

"This guy's a grownup, so watch who you're calling a kid!" Ruby retorted.

"She is? But you're—" Indeedee gasped, silencing with Mimia's growling. "Please, you really mustn't…"

"Ruby, hang on a second," Crystal said, and pulled the group back a bit. "If it's a big show going on and no one's allowed through, then Lucca should be safe in there. We could just wait for him here."

"Oh yeah, right. I'm sure even those knights wouldn't be allowed in," Shelly added.

"And let 'em find us first? Once Pokémon find out Lucca's a Shining Warrior and that he's one of us, they'll come for us too, y'know," Ruby argued.

"But how long will it take for that? I think we can at least wait until the show's over," Crystal reasoned.

"Grr, screw that. We shouldn't have even split up in the first place!" Ruby cried. She spat a small flame to scare the Indeedee, and then barged past him. "C'mon, let's get him!"

"Wait no, eek!" The Indeedee cried and curled up, but Mimia and company simply hopped over him.

"This is a really bad idea!" Crystal warned.

"I-i-its okay, we're gonna be okay. Ruby's strong, right?" Shelly gasped, though his leaf had turned dark blue.

As they ran down the hallway, the area darkened until they came to a wide doorway with an orb above it. The orb made a dull red glow, which was enough to make Ruby slowdown in consideration. She had already pushed past that wimpy guard though, so there was no turning back. With that in mind, she pushed the double doors open and quickly went inside.

Light, atmospheric music was playing. The floor was smooth, shiny, and led to the different areas of the room. Straight ahead led to rows and rows of seats, while a little to their right was a fancy stage. Right now, there was a range of Oricorio, Ninjask, and Cinccino dancing on stage in a brilliant, coordinated fashion. The Cinccino wore silky outfits that shimmered whenever rotating stage lights shone over them.

The group appeared to enter at the end of the performance, as the song soon stopped and the dancers finished in a perfect pose, mostly stood on each other to create a giant living Pokémon statue or something. The seats, which were filled to the brim with all kinds of Pokémon, immediately applauded, and more lights came on. No one seemed to notice Ruby and the others come in.

"How're we going to find Lucca in this?" Crystal had to shout to be heard.

"Mimia, you still got that scent?" Ruby asked, and he yipped. "That's how!"

"Thank you, thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemon, let me thank you for coming here today!" a new voice announced.

Ruby stopped dead in her tracks.

"I'm sure many of you have travelled far and wide, and paid many a pretty penny to come all this way for tonight's show. For that, each of you is the star of the show," the Pokémon remarked. As the dancers gathered to leave the stage from behind the curtains, a very large Ribombee came through. He was huge for a bug type, nearly Lucca's height, and had strange letters written on his forehead. Most of all, Ruby recognised his rich voice.

His large size, his way of speaking, the yellow, insectoid shape – there was no doubt about it. The more he spoke, the more she drew comparisons to those horrible memories. She had almost forgotten about it, but now that she was here, nothing else mattered. She stared at him from below the stage as he gloated and drew out the time of the show, but she managed to zone out to everything despite his volume. All she could see right now was a murderer in a veil of darkness.

"Ruby?" Crystal hissed at her. Ruby didn't even look at the Piplup.

"That's him, Crystal," Ruby whispered.

"Huh?"

"That's the guy who killed my mother."