16th Red Ash Moon, 908

The morning drew upon the Echo Bell Kingdom. Melissa stirred in bed, cracking one eye open to check the wall clock. Upon seeing the time, she sat up in bed and stretched her arms, letting out a big yawn. As she rubbed the crud from her eyes, she heard shuffling at the foot of the bed.

When she opened her eyes, a plate of cream puffs greeted her, along with the smiling faces of her friends.

"Happy Birthday, Melissa!"

Her eyes widened in shock, then her lips twisted into a grateful smile. "It's my birthday? I completely forgot it was this week! Oh my gosh, this is so sweet, thank you!"

Lucient chuckled. "Well, you deserve a little something after all the hard work you've been putting in."

Wyatt set the plate in her lap. "So, Avel and I went out early to get you a special breakfast. Your favorite!"

"Mmm, crème puffs!" She picked one up and bit into it, splattering specks of cream over her face. She shivered in delight. "Oh, I haven't had one in so long. So gooooood~!"

Jason leaned against the bed. "We're usually so busy that we tend to forget about our own birthdays, but we figured a mini celebration wouldn't hurt."

Victoria clapped. "Plus, we couldn't resist surprising you."

Melissa swallowed and set the pastry down. "This is all so sweet, but…I never told any of you when my birthday was."

Jason smirked. "You do realize the Verde Kingdom makes a big show out of your birthday every year, right? Not that hard to figure out when it was."

Felix snickered. "Plus, Sadie was kind enough to remind us it was during the heist."

Melissa giggled sheepishly. "Ah, that's right. Yeah, the kingdom does like going all out to celebrate my birthday. Still, I appreciate the surprise." She hopped out of bed and pulled everyone into a big group hug. "You guys are the best."

Jason patted her back. "I wouldn't rest now. Marie and Pandora made it clear they wanted to throw you a surprise party when we get back in a week."

She pulled away and frowned. "Isn't the point of a surprise party to keep it a secret?"

"Believe me, better to give you a heads up before getting caught in Pandora's schemes for birthday celebration."

She giggled. "Fair enough." She picked up her plate and finished off the first cream puff. "Yummy!"

Felix crossed his forelegs. "So, what's the plan for today, Master Melissa?"

She wiped her lips and nodded. "Right. Same ol' business as usual. Recon, planning stages, all that boring stuff. This is the second day of the carnival, so we'll use that time to further preparations. Wyatt and Avel will continue helping me at the pancake stall."

"Woo!" Wyatt cheered.

Avel rolled his eyes. "Riveting."

She turned to Lucient. "You'll be handling recon on the royal family to finalize their day-to-day schedules for the carnival." She turned to her apprentices. "As for you two, you get the special job of investigating the catacombs."

Felix grinned. "Awesome!"

Victoria shivered with excitement. "Exploring spooky underground tunnels? Doubly awesome!"

Melissa chuckled. "I've already mapped out some of the pathways, but be sure to stay aware of your position. Your job is to find an optimal path to the secret passageway inside the castle."

Wyatt glanced at her. "Why do the catacombs run under the castle, anyway?"

"Well, they make for useful escape tunnels in the event of an attack on the castle. Castle Penworth has its own secret passageways built in for emergency evacuation. The Visconti family would be the only people who could safely navigate the catacombs without getting lost. Anyone else would get hopelessly lost if not prepared."

Avel nodded. "Ingenious."

Jason glared. "Wait, there's secret tunnels under Castle Penworth?"

She smirked at him. "I'm surprised at you. I thought you had an intricate map of my entire kingdom. Guess you're slipping in your skills, Fairy Knight."

He rolled his eyes and smirked back. "Oh hush."

She stuck her tongue out at him before turning back to her apprentices. "You sure you two can get this done without getting lost?"

Felix saluted. "Nothing to worry about, boss. We'll have those tunnels mapped out and prepped in no time."

Victoria crossed her arms smugly. "We are kind of amazing, after all."

"I'm holding you two to that."

Lucient adjusted his spectacles. "Well, the day is young, so best we get started. I'll head out and do my recon on the Visconti family. Have a wonderful birthday, Melissa." He bowed his head and let himself out of the room.

Victoria grabbed Felix's feeler. "Come on, Felix! Let's go explore those spooky tunnels!" She ran out, dragging the Sylveon along with her.

Melissa gasped and ran after them. "Wait, I didn't give you my notes first! Victoria, slow down!"

Jason chuckled. "I'm glad she's getting along better with those two. She's really stepping up as a leader."

Avel closed his eyes. "Perhaps, but she still has some ways to go by my estimate."

Wyatt frowned. "How is Melissa doing so far, anyway?"

Jason pulled out his notebook. "Better to leave that information for myself, but it's only been one day. She's taking her time with the planning preparation, but the execution is just as important. I have high hopes for her, but I need to remain neutral in my assessment."

Wyatt laughed. "So, in other words, she's going great. That's all I needed to hear!" He ran out the door. "Come on, Avel, we've got some pancakes to cook up! Ooh, maybe we should serve some other foods with them!"

"We're not cooking every customer a full-blown breakfast!" Avel shouted.

Jason rolled his eyes, chuckled, and followed them out the room, closing the door behind him. Yes, I suppose one could say Melissa is doing adequate after only one day.


Castle Visconti

Asterio roused from his slumber and floated about his room, throwing on a simple cloak and checking himself in the mirror. He glanced at his room-sized window, where the back half of the carnival was taking place. Pokémon gathered in the streets in small groups, getting ready for the second day of festivities.

He pressed his tentacle against the window and let out a deep sigh. To think there was a time he tolerated going to the carnival, maybe even enjoying himself for once. He was never a cheery prince, but there existed a time he could crack a smile without being forced. Nowadays, the carnival seemed less appealing, more so with each passing year. It stung to see everyone so happy. So innocent. So carefree.

So oblivious to the dark underbelly of crime.

He pulled away from the window and shook his head. "How can anyone attend this stupid carnival? It's the one day of the year you're encouraged to disguise yourself. You'd think after last time…" He sighed and floated away from the window. "Stop thinking about it. Just stop thinking about it."

He floated out into the hallway, startling the maid staff as they walked by. They nervously curtsied to him before going on their way in a hurry. He rolled his eyes and shut his door behind him.

"You're as charming as ever in the morning, dear brother."

Asterio groaned and turned to see his older sister leaning up against the wall. She wasn't dressed in her disguise, instead wearing her bedroom robe, which was pretty much a fancy cloak given their body proportions. He noticed her rubbing at her eyes and subtly yawning behind her tentacle.

"Late night?" he asked.

"Something like that," Evangelina muttered.

"Uh huh." He attempted to float around her, but she grabbed him by the wrist. He sighed. "Whatever taunts you have for me today, can it wait after breakfast?"

She frowned. "Yeah, about that…" She scratched behind her head. "I wanted to apologize for what I said last night."

"…Where's this coming from?"

"I mean it, really." She sighed and crossed her tentacles. "Look, I know I'm hard on you and stuff, but I shouldn't have prodded you like I did. I know how sensitive you are about…that serial killer who will remain unnamed." She hugged herself and looked down. "You weren't the only one traumatized by his actions."

"…" He closed his eyes. "You didn't experience what I saw."

"Maybe not, but I could see it in your eyes." She shook her head. "You've always been terrible at trying to explain your emotions. If I didn't step in when I did, you could've caused a whole slew of problems. Maybe I'm hard on you because I don't want a king who can't protect his people."

"Hmph."

"He may be gone, but there are criminals worse than him waiting to make history. This kingdom, so full of life and joy, hides the darkness of those who wish to bring harm or simply act on forgotten instincts. Walking among their fellow Pokémon, holding back the animal within until their time to strike. It's…terrifying to think anyone is capable of such malice, and they look as normal as your average neighbor. Serial killers, murderers, and…monsters shouldn't be remembered. They should stay buried in the past, remembered only as bad omens. We have our own monster lurking in the night, and one is enough for a lifetime."

"Hmph…"

"Everything I do is for the good of this kingdom." Evangelina looked away. "Even if that means doing something you hate. Better to keep the people safe even if they despise you in the end."

"How can anyone trust a deceitful king?"

"That's why I always protest your claim to the throne. You're not fit to be a king. I'm more than willing to be history's evilest queen if it meant Echo Bell thrives in the end. I'm the one who'll do anything to get results."

"…" Asterio closed his eyes. "Somedays, I've consider leaving home and traveling somewhere far away. A fresh start. A new me. Ghost-Types live for a long time. I'm not sure how long I can go on feeling so…crushed."

Evangelina frowned. "Who knows? Maybe our luck will turn around in the future."

"…" He turned and faced her. "I accept your apology. Thank you."

She smiled a bit. "No matter how much we fight, I'm always here to look out for you." She grabbed his tentacles and dragged him along. "Let's get some breakfast. That'll cheer you up."

"No, it won't."

"Quit being such a sourpuss and just eat with me."

"…Fine."


Echo Bell Capital Square

"Alright team, we've got work to do! Chop, chop!" Benvenuto called out to his crew as they started rearranging the mobile stage. "We have an acrobatic routine scheduled for today, and I have an important matter to attend to later. Less slacking, more hauling!"

From the shadows of the stage curtains, Itzal peeked his eyes through to observe the Mr. Mime's stellar leadership. He knew when he first hired Benvenuto that he would make the perfect face of the circus. Timely, reliable, and always looking ahead to get the job done. That is what he expected from his ace minion.

He snickered behind his hand. Absolutely fantastic. We're sure to draw in a mighty crowd today with these performances. Oh, to bring such marvelous happiness into this world. It's the dream come true. A shame Terrowin can't see my vision. If only he understood the brilliance of the Scarlet Flame.

He shook his head and let go of the curtains. He stared into the glass orb of his scepter, waving his hand over it to stoke the flames flickering inside.

"What I wouldn't give to finally perform a ritual on par with the sacred texts. To see it with my own eyes would bring me great happiness beyond the scope of this mortal plain. To wither in suffering at the height of joy…" He shivered with delight, scarlet flames wisping from his toothy smile. "It's perfect~."

He heard a throat being cleared behind him. He turned and smiled at the Froslass seductress, Junko, who bowed to the ringmaster.

"[Yukimura. How you?]" he asked, not as versed in speaking in her tongue as Benvenuto.

"[Divine as always, Ringmaster Itzal. A shame I will not be performing today, but I heed your call without hesitation. Am I still on to stalk the king and queen?]"

After lingering a moment to translate in his head, he nodded. "[Yes. You will…hunt king and queen. Assure they are…distance from fortress?]" He groaned and facepalmed. "Look, I'm trying here."

She giggled. "[I appreciate the effort, Ringmaster Itzal. I understand your wish clear enough. I will keep an eye on the king and queen.]" She peeked out the curtains and glared. "[There is a chance they'll attend our performance again, or perhaps I scared off the king after giving him too much attention.]" She snickered. "[Men are so easy to fluster.]"

Itzal couldn't keep up with what she was saying and sighed. "Um, sure, yeah. Totally with you there." He shook his head and glared. "[Important. Time for…Benvenuto to work.]"

"[If the king or queen return to the castle too early, I will make sure to distract them.]" She spun and traced her hands along her body. "[It is my specialty, after all.]"

Itzal smirked. "And with any luck, we'll have reason to switch to Plan B. Oh, I sure do hope we switch to Plan B." He pointed his scepter at the curtains. "[Go. Do mission.]"

"[By your command, Ringmaster.]" Junko faded into ice particles and flew out through the curtains.

Itzal sighed and massaged his throat. "That's what I get for not brushing up on my old Johtonian."

He turned as some of the stagehands walked across backstage carrying props and the like. Navigating them was his faithful stage coordinator, Iris Adesso. She pointed out where each prop was to be set up and where construction on the obstacles were to take place. When it came to getting the circus in order, he could count on both Benvenuto AND Iris.

"No, no, no! The trapeze is supposed to be set up above the stage for the dramatic fire stunt. Use your heads, geniuses!" she scolded. She checked off her notes with a grumble. "I'm working with amateurs, I swear."

"No one holds a candle to your organization, Iris."

The Alolan Marowak yelped and spun around as Itzal floated over to her. Her cheeks turned red with heat, and her eyes sparkled with admiration. "Eeee! Ringmaster Itzal's talking to me!"

He smirked. "You're also speaking out loud."

"…Eep." She hid her face behind her notes. After clearing her throat, she said, "P-Preparations are underway, sir! We should have the show set up within two hours, not unless some people can get things right!" she snapped at some stagehands walking off with their heads hanging low.

Itzal chuckled. "Stressed today?"

She grinned sheepishly. "M-Maybe a little. I just want everything to be perfect for you, Ringmaster. You're just…s-s-so amazing, and you deserve only the best. A-After all, this is the fate of all happiness we're working toward!"

He raised his scepter and tapped the glass orb on her head. The close contact of the inner flame made Iris shivered with joy. "You are the only true follower in this whole circus, my little pyromaniac. You understand the beauty of the flame."

"It's just so beautiful…" she gushed, staring at the flame as if entranced by it. "So warm, so colorful, so…oooohhhh~! I want to be engulfed in its agonizing embrace!"

He pulled his scepter away and tucked it under his cloak. "Then you understand the importance of getting everything right. The ritual must be perfect. You wouldn't let me down, right?"

"Never, sir!"

His smirk stretched. "In that case, how's your latest experiment coming along? I assume everything is ready for when we launch Plan B."

She grinned. "Oh, I haven't slept at all last night. I've been experimenting with this latest batch for months, and I wanted it to be perfect for today. I've performed controlled tests with the compound, and I guarantee they'll produce the results you seek. Perhaps even more than I could predict! Oh, just thinking about it is making me tingly~!"

Itzal lifted her chin with his finger. "I knew from the moment we met you would make a fine addition to my troupe. An alchemist as passionate as you shouldn't have wasted her talents and hid away her passion for fire. What good is doing good if you weren't happy? You are an alchemist ripe with potential. You should do what you want with your gifts."

Her face turned bright red, her eyes shimmering like sparks of ember with the widest grin possible. "I can't wait to set it off! W-We will get to set it off, right?" she asked, now filled with panic. "I-I can't wait any longer! I didn't spend months perfecting the compound not to use it!"

Itzal patted her head. "Don't you worry your crazy little brain. I have a feeling we'll get our chance to set it up." He winked. "You'll be in charge of setting it up, in fact. Let the artist inside you paint your dreams onto this canvas."

Iris felt close to fainting, aggressively fanning herself. "I-I get to set it up? The way I want?" Joyful tears raced down her face. "This is truly an honor, Ringmaster Itzal!"

He waved it off. "You've proven your loyalty, so it only seems fair." He tapped his chin. "That said, I do need you to do a teensy little favor for me today. Depending on how today goes, you'll be set to begin preparations tomorrow."

She grinned. "Oh, anything, Ringmaster Itzal! I'd do anything for the Scarlet Flame!"

"Excellent!" He pulled a top hat from his cloak and placed it on her head. "Congratulations, you are the Master of Ceremonies for today while Benvenuto handles his assignment."

"…" All the excitement building up inside the Alolan Marowak instantly shattered into a face of horror. "W-What?"

"You'll do great! Ciao!" He sank into the shadows, leaving her off with a wink and salute.

Iris weakly moved herself toward the curtains and peeked outside. She spotted a small group of Pokémon already finding their place in the audience. She twisted the curtains in her grip and started hyperventilating. Her knees shook and clattered together. Her bone, safely attached to her back, sparked with spectral flames triggered by her growing anxiety.

"M-Master of Ceremonies? He means I have to…" She gulped and trembled even harder. "G-Go on stage? In front of an audience? And talk to them?!"


Melissa hummed a cheery tune as she tied on her apron and prepped the pancake stand for business. Wyatt and Avel stoked the fire for the stove, and Jason sat in his usual corner ready to observe their progress. He smiled as Melissa picked up another of her cream puffs and took a hearty bite out of it.

"Someone's in a good mood," he teased.

She swallowed and turned around with a giggle. "It's…just so strange to think I was celebrating my last birthday in the castle. I never could've predicted I was running a pancake stand in preparation for a heist. That'd be silly."

He laughed. "Yes, I suppose it does sound farfetched."

She sighed. "A shame, though. Gustavo made me the best birthday meals throughout the day. I miss his cooking."

"Don't let Lambert hear you say that."

She giggled again. "Oh, Lambert knows I love his cooking, too. I just miss the way Gustavo made my meals." She suddenly pouted. "I...just realized JoJo's probably celebrating my birthday right now and getting his amazing cooking."

Jason chuckled. "I'm sure she'll tell you how delicious it was."

"Hmph!" She sighed and glanced up at the ceiling. "I wonder how they're all doing."

Jason set his notebook aside. "I get regular updates from JoJo. She's still adjusting around the castle. Before we left, I did get a letter from her saying your father's going to be away on business in the Wick Kingdom."

Melissa frowned. "The…Wick Kingdom. I see." She glared off to the side. "We have been allies with them for a while."

He frowned back. "Melissa…"

"I know, I know. Looking into my father's history is necessary. I just…" She ran her hand through her fur. "I just can't imagine my father allying with the Tetrarchs under these circumstances." She glared. "Makes me wonder if he cared about…their darker sides."

He hopped off his seat and walked over, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I don't have any sympathy for your father, but…I doubt any parent would want you wrapped up in that kind of mess."

"He was pretty adamant about me not being alone with Darby. I just assumed he was being overprotective." She winced. "Kind of glad he was…"

"You holding up okay?"

"Y-Yeah. I try not to think about it too much. It's hard, but I'm doing better." She closed her eyes. "I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to confront Darby."

Jason smiled. "Hey, no matter what, you've got your friends and me to keep you safe."

She smiled back. "I know." She straightened up, took a deep breath, and slapped her cheeks. "No more unhappy thoughts! Today's my birthday, and I'm going to enjoy it. No talk of evil conspiracies or evil princes. I just want to have some fun working the stand and enjoying the nice weather."

"That's the spirit." He patted her back. "Don't stuff yourself with those cream puffs. We're planning on ordering a cake later."

"Ooooh, cake~!"

He chuckled and turned away from her. "Among other little gifts…"

"What was that?"

He waved it off. "Oh, I'll tell you later."

She smirked. "Did you get me a present?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You got me a present!" She squealed and shook him by the shoulders. "What is it? What is it? Can I have it now?"

"Present? I don't have a present for you."

"You're smiling! Tell me!"

"Still don't know what you mean."

"Come on!"

Wyatt and Avel watched the pair playfully argue back and forth. Wyatt had to look away to hide his giggling. "Aww, they look so cute."

Avel closed the stove after throwing in the last piece of firewood. "So strange seeing Jason all…happy." He used his tongue to pull himself onto the counter. "That vacation they took did more good than I expected."

Wyatt grinned. "No kidding." His eyes widened. "Wait, did we buy Melissa a present?!"

"Uh, I don't think—" Avel was suddenly scooped off the counter and dropped onto the Lombre's head.

"We don't open for another half hour! You can't just not get someone a present on their birthday!" He raced out of the stand with Avel barely hanging on.

"Weren't the cream puffs enough?! Wyatt, slow down!"


An audience gathered around the Cirque du Madness as the hour of opening drew closer. The stagehands prepared the special effects, and the performers warmed up for their acts. All was underway for another brilliant show.

If only the current Master of Ceremonies was as prepared.

Iris sat atop a barrel, breathing in and out into a paper bag. She dressed in a suit provided to her by Benvenuto, though some quick alterations were made to sleeves and pants to fit her. The top hat sat askew on her head, shaking due to her constant trembling.

Iris breathed extra hard into the bag, causing it to explode into ash. She hurriedly pulled another from her suit and resumed hyperventilating into it. W-Why would Ringmaster Itzal make me the Master of Ceremonies?! Is this a test to prove my loyalty? Is this to experience suffering for the Scarlet Flame? Oh great flame, I am unworthy of your test!

The paper bag exploded into ash again. She reached for another, but a hand caught her wrist. She yelped and jumped away, nearly falling off the barrel, but a couple Magnemite swooped in and caught her. They readjusted her position and floated away.

"Someone's looking nervous." Iris turned to see Ansaldo, who let go of her wrist. "What's the matter? Afraid the ringmaster's starving you of his praise?"

She shuddered and covered her face. "Oh Ansaldo, it's horrible. He tasked me to take over Benvenuto's duties while he's out with an assignment. I can't do it! I just can't!" She pulled her legs up and hugged herself. "S-S-So many eyes staring at me, judging me…!"

He patted her back. "Hey, hey, hey. I get you. Not everyone's born to be in the spotlight. I mean, just look at me." He posed and expanded his frills. "I was made for the stage~!" He relaxed and patted her shoulder. "You? You're a stellar stage manager and the best pyrotechnician I know. Everyone's got their strengths and weaknesses."

"But I can't just refuse Ringmaster Itzal's request!" she yelled, grabbing him by the jacket. "He showed me the true path to happiness, and I can't disappoint him! I was honored to oversee the next ritual! What if he takes my privileges away? Or worse…!" She let go and gasped. "Oh no, what if I'm not allowed to watch the ritual?! All that beautiful, beautiful fire…and I won't be able to experience its cleansing magic. Oh, I'd simply die from the shame!"

Ansaldo rolled his eyes. "Overreacting much?" He shook his head. "Look, I'm only here to grace the people with my divine presence, but I know how important this ritual stuff is to you."

She sniffled. "And…?"

"Let me give you a few pointers." He hooked his arm around her. "If you're worried about everyone judging you, the best way to circumvent the problem is a disguise. As long as no one recognizes you, you can act as foolish and stupid as you want, and no one will know it's you."

She gulped. "I'm not sure that'll help me."

"You won't know until you give it a shot. Would you rather be out there where everyone can see your face?"

"…Point taken."

Ansaldo nodded. "That's what I thought. Next, why not try some notecards? Read them off, put a little energy into it, and you're done."

"But I don't have anything prepared."

He snapped his fingers, summoning his Magnemite crew. "Grab some notecards. We've got an introduction to write up!" They nodded and darted off. He grabbed Iris' shoulders and pushed her across the stage. "Let's get you that disguise. We've got about ten minutes."

She gulped. "Oh dear…"


"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear."

The Alolan Marowak had to be pushed out onto the stage by Ansaldo's Magnemite crew as her legs somehow became paralyzed by a tremendous dose of fear. The crew pushed her to the edge of the stage before retreating back behind the curtains.

On top of the suit she was provided, Ansaldo spent the last ten minutes applying clown makeup, making her skull a bright shade of white with red highlighting around the eyes and flames across her forehead. She was also provided with a mustache and poofy rainbow wig that her top hat sat precariously on.

Iris trembled as she stared out into the audience, a sea of eyes shifting about with their attention centered solely on her. It was so quiet that she could hear some audience members coughing in the back. She shuddered, but fought the urge to flee back behind the curtains. She looked back once to see Ansaldo and her Alolan Sandslash brothers waving to her. She smiled a bit, took a deep breath, and pulled out her notecards.

"H-Hello—no, wait. Um…" She gulped and shook her head. "I mean…(Hello! I-I am…the Great Firework Witch, filling in for your b-beloved Benvenuto for today as Master of Ceremonies. Twirl baton for dramatic—oh, wait.)"

The audience laughed as Iris awkwardly pulled the baton she was given, as she didn't want to give any indication of her species to anyone. She spun it weakly in her hand and struck it down on the stage like a cane.

"Hehe, y-yeah. We tell jokes here." She shook her head and continued, "(Um, I hope you all enjoyed our show y-yesterday. I-I know I sure did. It's…) Oh, why does Benvenuto make this look so easy?" She wiped her brow, smearing the makeup and earning a chuckle from the front of the audience. "(It's a g-grand ol' time here at the Cirque du Madness, but yesterday wasn't even the p-peak of our d-dramatic performances. Plenty m-more shows. Death defying stunts. Our f-finest performers.)" She went to the next notecard. "(Thank you for joining us today. Be sure to come back tomorrow for…) W-Wait, are these out of order?!"

She hurriedly shuffled through the notecards, but accidentally sent them flying out of her hand. The audience laughed even harder as Iris bent down and tried to pick the cards back up. Ansaldo and the Sandslush brothers facepalmed themselves.

"I can't watch this anymore." Ansaldo pulled back and whistled for his crew. "Big Boss, cue Dramatic Dance Number 7!"

Iris scooped up all her notecards, but her legs began to quiver to the audience's laughter. The makeup ran down her face with sweat, and her eyes flickered left to right in a panic. "S-Stop laughing, p-please…"

Suddenly, bolts of electricity burst from the back of the stage, instantly silencing the audience. From the sparkling light, Ansaldo waltzed out onto the stage with a powerful strut. He snapped his fingers, commanding three Magnemite to spin above him and release three distinct, almost electronic sounds through the air, each beating in tandem to a rhythm.

"(Give it up for our Master of Ceremonies and her amazing comedy routine! What a professional, ladies and gentlemen!)" Ansaldo exclaimed. "(Give her a hand!)"

The laughter turned to thundering applause. The quaking in Iris' body gradually calmed to light shaking, and her panicked breathing turned to slow, deep breaths. She felt Ansaldo grasp her hand and raised it to plant a delicate kiss upon it.

"As if I wasn't going to step in when I needed to. The show must go on, after all," he said.

Iris blushed and smiled appreciatively. "Th-Thank you." She shuffled through her notecards, took a deep breath, and raised her voice as best as she could. "(L-Ladies and Gentlemen, give it up for the stellar prince of the cosmos himself, Ansaldo Serpico!)"

The crowd cheered louder than ever, crying out for the Heliolisk. He strutted to the edge of the stage and posed with the Magneto Crew. "(Yes, yes! Praise me and be dazzled by my unmatched talent!)"


With Ansaldo taking over the opening act, Junko took to the skies and surveyed the awestruck crowd as a cloud of mist. The sparkling Heliolisk and his blinding lightshow provided a useful distraction for her to swoop down closer to the crowd to scan for her targets. She couldn't help but smile when she heard Iris actually speaking up to announce his introduction.

However, after a few minutes of searching, she retreated back into the air. "[Perhaps they are taking in the other sites.]" She glanced at the sun, making an estimated guess of the current time. "[Not sure when Benvenuto will be done with his assignment. All I need to do is make sure the king and queen are attending the carnival.]"

She flew away from the circus to search through the growing crowds of Pokémon. The turnout tripled since yesterday, with far more travelers in attendance to flood the capital streets. Still, she knew it wouldn't be too difficult to spot out King Visconti given his imposing size. It was a matter of searching the entire city that proved aggravating.

She flew along the sides of buildings, leaving a trail of frost across the windows. For ten minutes, she searched blindly through crowds for the king and queen, yet failed to turn up results. She began to wonder if they were still in the castle or decided to skip the carnival for today.

She groaned. "[It doesn't matter too much. We just need to make sure they don't interfere. It'd be preferable if they were out in the open, but…]"

However, in the midst of her search, something eventually caught her attention. She stopped and floated closer to the crowd, where she spotted a Sylveon and Azumarill stepping out into a blocked off alleyway. Junko looked around and realized she was in the far right side of the capital. The carnival mostly took place in the active market and business areas of the capital, leaving the residential areas closer to the surrounding walls separated.

Two Pokémon leaving to go to the residential area wasn't what caught her eye, however. She could hear them speaking in low whispers to each other, and they appeared to be holding some kind of map between them. She floated down closer to get a better look, if only to satiate her aimless searching.

She couldn't understand anything the pair were saying, though she recognized some words which informed her they spoke the dominant tongue of Virdis. She got as close as she could without alerting them to her icy presence and squinted at their map. It appeared to be lines drawn over a map of the capital like pathways, yet they intersected over areas where buildings were.

The Sylveon pointed ahead. "According to her notes, the entrance we should use is somewhere in the local cemetery."

The Azumarill shivered with excitement. "Oooh, spooky!"

Junko glared. She recognized only one word: cemetery. They were heading to the cemetery?

"Alright, let's get started." The Sylveon waved his partner along, and they sprinted off.

Junko hung back and tapped her chin. [Strange. What was all that about?] She looked back at the carnival goers still pushing and shoving into each other in the street. [Why would two carnival goers be interested in the cemetery? What could be in…]

Her eyes widened. Her mind returned to yesterday, a brief moment just before she retired for the night. A conversation she had regarding her mission today and why she needed to keep an eye out for the king and queen. There was something in the cemetery, virtually unknown by most, but a hotspot for rumors and pranksters to divulge in.

[Could they be looking for the hidden catacombs?!]


With his window cracked open, Itzal listened to the performances going on as he plotted over his writing desk. With both Benvenuto and Chihiro gone for the day, he could focus on his goals while listening to the joyous sounds of what would surely be another successful dose of happiness. It brought such warmth to his chest knowing the people would reach the height of euphoria through the week.

He snickered to himself. "With Iris' new compound, this may be my biggest ritual yet. The greatest ritual ever performed." He then scowled at his desk. "If only I didn't have that withered bastard, Terrowin, hanging over my shoulder. Oh, whatever you do, don't do anything that's totally not awesome and amazing. Ugh, what a load. A sad man like him couldn't bother cracking a real smile—"

A creak sounded behind him. He turned around in his chair, looking around at the inside of his trailer suspiciously. He heard another creaked in the floorboards, sounding too close for his liking. He looked all over, yet found not a trace of anything inside. As far as he could see, he sat alone in the trailer.

Not deterred, he hid away his notes inside a folder and slid from his chair. He pulled out his scepter as his shadow grew and took on a monstrous shape across the wall. "Is someone here? Benvenuto? Chihiro? Anyone?"

A low snickering echoed around him, yet he couldn't discern the location. It sounded like it was coming from his mind. He remained unfazed by the creepy atmosphere and slowly shuffled forward. The fire within his scepter brightened, filling the room with a soft scarlet light.

"If you're trying to scare me, you picked the wrong Gourgeist to get a rise out of." He snickered through his toothy grin. "So, which are you? Friend or foe? Make your next choice carefully, you—"

"Boo."

Itzal spun around as something swung at him from the darkness. He raised his hand as the intruder plunged a knife straight into his palm. Itzal raised his scepter, igniting the glass orb to fire off an attack, but relaxed as the attack finally registered.

He didn't feel any pain in his hand.

He stared in confusion as the intruder retracted their knife and backed away, openly laughing at the startled ringmaster. "Tricked you~." The intruder pressed down on the knife's tip, causing it to collapse within the false hilt. Some sort of spring-loaded mechanism clicked inside. "It's a trick dagger. Couldn't even stab a potato."

Itzal narrowed his eyes. "Wait a minute. You're…" His eyes widened. "Great flame, is that you?"

A male Salandit stepped out of the shadows, snickering at the stunned Gourgeist. He wore a white linen shirt, a red vest with several small bells dangling from the bottom edge, and gray trousers. "Hello Itzy. It's been a while, huh?"

Itzal glared. "Basil Dawnblite. Why are you here?"

Basil chuckled, deftly spinning his trick dagger in his hand. "Whaaaat? I can't pay my old ringmaster a visit?"