16th Red Ash Moon, 908, Nalzona

Some would call Luna stubborn, but she preferred to see herself as persistent. Her soul blazed for truth and justice, thus stoking a fire in her stomach that would burn through the year as she sought out the truth of her quest. No matter the obstacle, she will overcome the challenge. She faced against the terrifying riddle master, survived the treacherous spy of Castle Penworth, endured torture from a really annoying magician, and faced the wrath of her volcanic mother.

So, why was she struggling this much just to get information out of a retired old man?!

She, Jet, and Zephora hid behind some crates at the Nalzona marketplace, spying on the retired Verde Knight as he checked the different stalls. He pulled a wagon behind him that was piling up with groceries, a recurring expedition they noted in their two days of investigation and definitely not stalking. For the past two days, he would spend a few hours at the marketplace browsing the stalls, sometimes spending so long studying the products before leaving without buying a single thing.

Jet glared. "Does this bastard eat portions meant for Copperajah? Why does he need this much food?"

"Perhaps he's hungry?" Luna guessed. "Really, really hungry."

"You have no idea."

"Not a clue."

"Then why are we wasting our time stalking—"

"Investigating!" she pressed.

"—wasting our time stalking this guy? He's made it pretty clear he wants nothing to do with the Verde Kingdom…or you." He rolled his eyes. "If I knew I was being harassed by some crazy knight, I'd be irritated, too."

She glared. "Oh please, you hate everyone."

"Yes, and I'd especially hate someone staring at my back twenty-four seven like a creep."

"There's nothing creepy about spying on an old man that lives alone for two days straight."

"…"

"Yes, I heard what I said, but my point still stands."

Zephora sat down against the crates, slicing open a pomegranate with her dagger. "I'd hate to acknowledge Jet's harsh attitude towards anything that breathes, but you did suggest breaking into his house in the middle of the night." She sheathed her dagger and plucked a seed into her mouth.

Luna raised her finger. "As a last resort."

"Before or after another of your ridiculous schemes?" Jet grumbled.

She glared. "Oh come on, none of my other ideas were that bad."

Attempt 1: Flattery

Gerard inspected a bundle of carrots, methodically scratching his chin. He looked up at the Herdier running the stall and asked, "How fresh would you say these carrots are?"

The dog huffed and said, "Came in fresh three days ago. Finely preserved during transport over."

"I see." As he inspected the carrots some more, he felt someone walk up behind and give him a firm pat of the back. "GAH!" He spun around and came face-to-face with a smiling Snivy.

"Hello there, Mr. Carpenter!" Luna greeted. "Fancy meeting you here. I didn't know you shopped in the same marketplace as I did."

"…" He glared. "This is the only marketplace in town."

"And we're only just now running into each other like this? What a coincidence, am I right?" She laughed and leaned against the counter. "So, shopping for carrots? Good choice. Did you know carrots are really good for maintaining eye health? The nutrients found in carrots are excellent for preventing any eye-related issues, like potential blindness. I see you are a man who cares about his vision, especially at…your…" Her voice trailed off.

His glare deepened. "Go on."

"…advanced age?" she finished with a weak smile.

"…" He turned back to the Herdier and placed some coins on the counter. "I'll take them." He threw the carrots into his wagon and headed to the next stall.

Luna scampered behind him and tucked her hands behind her waist. "So, is that a new vest? It looks absolutely lovely on you. I see you're a man who appreciates good fashion. Very stylish."

"Hmph."

"Heh. Um, m-my dad always taught me the importance of looking my best in public. Oh, speaking of families, do you have any? Maybe a wife? Couple of kids?"

"I never married."

"Oh, is that right? Yeah, I'm not big on marriage, either. I mean, I never really found a suitable partner, but I don't want that holding me back from my career as a knight—oh, you know what? Speaking of knights, I always wanted to hear about your last big mission for the Verde Kingdom. I bet it was a legendary expe—"

The Sirfetch'd stomped his foot down, startling her. He turned and shot her a hideous scowl, creasing the wrinkles in his face tightly. "Leave. Me. Alone."

She yelped and backed away in a fit of nervous laughter. "Right, right! Sorry! Goodbye!" She dashed off.

Attempt 2: Begging

Gerard ran his index feather across the kitchen knife he was looking to purchase. He squinted at the finely sharpened edge, listening to the air as his feather traced across the thin blade. "Hmm, this one's got some bite to it. Might be useful."

He placed the knife on the counter and dug through his vest pockets for his coin bag. Just as he located it, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and grimaced at the returning sight of Luna, only she was dressed in a blue dress with a wide skirt and a bonnet.

"What do you want now?" he asked.

She didn't say anything immediately. Her face was flushed and tense, almost like she was working up the nerve to do something she really didn't want to do. She took a deep breath, dropped to her knees, clasped her hands together, and broke down into a fit of tears.

"Please, Mr. Carpenter, please!"

The ex-knight recoiled and backed against the stall. "The hell?!"

"It's my poor granny! She's dying! Oh, she has few days left to live!" She pressed her hand to her forehead dramatically. "She's been stricken by the…the, uh…" She blanked for a moment before gasping. "Pneumonia!"

"Pneumonia?!" a couple bystanders gasped.

"Pneumonia?" Gerard repeated with a grumble.

She grabbed his vest, hanging by it as she went limp. "She's gone delirious from the sickness. Every day, she speaks of a little more of her soul being whisked away by the angels with each cough stripping her of her energy. Oh, it's absolutely terrible!"

"Oh, the poor dear," a bystander commented.

"Such a shame."

"That sounds absolutely awful."

"My father died of pneumonia twice. That was an awkward funeral service."

Gerard rolled his eyes and glared at the sniveling Snivy. "Is that right?"

She picked herself up, but dramatically. "Oh Mr. Carpenter, you must visit my dear ol' granny. She speaks of you in her final moments, hoping to see her beloved again!"

"Do you think I'm senile or something?" Gerard grumbled.

"How can you be so cruel?!" Luna gasped. "My granny speaks of you like you were her own husband. Oh, she spoke of how heroic you were during your days as a knight, hoping one day you would retire so you two could spend the rest of your days in peace and comfort. Oh, she can't go on any longer."

"Then find a doctor," he said, trying his best to suppress a growl.

"No!" Luna yelled…dramatically! "No, it's too late for a doctor! She's going to die, Mr. Carpenter! But, she wanted her final moments to be with you. With you! Even in pain, her heart still bleeds for you! Oh Gerard Carpenter, my poor granny wishes to see you! She wishes to hear about your last big adventure. You last final mission! The peak of your heroic—"

Gerard pulled on her bonnet and ripped it off. Luna stared at him with an awkward smile, only worsening his glare. "Seriously? Was this a disguise or are you one of those weird method actors?"

"Uh…"

He threw the bonnet down and pulled her to her feet. "This is just pathetic. You call yourself a knight, yet you come to me sobbing like a rookie's first experience on the battlefield with this sad excuse of a story hoping to gaslight me into coming with you?!"

"…You know, when you say it like that—"

"Leave!" he snapped.

"Eep! Aye, sir!" She picked up the bonnet and raced off, tripping over her skirt halfway. "Agh!" She scrambled back to her feet, only to trip on the skirt again. "ARGH! This is why I hate dresses!"

Attempt 3: Deception

"One container of fresh colbur berry juice," Gerard ordered, placing his coins on the counter. The Pelipper running the stall took the coins and went back to grab a barrel. Gerard pulled out his shopping list and checked off the item.

"Good day, fine sir!"

Gerard felt a twitch in his eye as he looked over his shoulder. He glared at the snappily dressed Snivy wearing a pronounced white beard. The…gentleman stroked the beard with a distinguished gleam in their eye.

"…You've got to be kidding me," Gerard grumbled.

Luna chortled, putting on the deepest voice she could managed. "You must be the esteemed Gerard Carpenter. I've heard great tales about you. As an esteemed gentleman myself, I know great strength of character when I see you. The tales of your exploits have astounded me for years, and now I've been given the chance to finally meet you in person."

Gerard pinched between his eyes and groaned. "Okay, this is just sad now."

"Sad, indeed!" Luna emphasized. "You are an idol to me, Gerard Carpenter, and I would be ever so grateful if you prattled about your feats of honor during your service in the Verde Kingdom. For instance, what says you about your final mission in the—" Gerard reached out and pinched her lips shut.

"Kid, I'm only going to say this once more because you seem to have a listening problem. I want nothing to do with the Verde Kingdom, and the last thing I need is to remember my time in service to them. If you bother me one more time, I'm punting your tiny frame across this town. Capiche?"

"…" Luna pulled his wing away. "Ssssoooo, is that a no or—"

"Here's your colbur juice, Mr. Carpenter!" the Pelipper worker called out, flying over and landing the barrel in his wagon.

Gerard grabbed the handle, shot Luna one last glare, and marched off into the crowd. Luna shrieked and tried to follow him. "Wait, Sir Gerard! Please, this is important! We need to know what you saw in the ruins—"

"There you are!" Luna gasped as a Coalossal suddenly grabbed her by the tail and lifted her upside-down. "Dammit, Barkley. This is getting old. You're not skipping out on your shift again."

"B-Barkley?!" Luna frantically shook her head. "W-Wait, you got the wrong guy! I'm a girl! Th-This is just a disguise!"

"Oh, that's the oldest trick in the book." The living coal monster marched away with the struggling Snivy in tow. "Now hurry up. We got watermelons to sell, and I expect you to finish your shift!"

"But I'm not—" Luna frantically pulled on the beard. "Gah! It's stuck!"

As Luna was swept away against her will, another Snivy standing across the street lowered his newspaper. His shifty eyes darted behind the thick beard covering his face. He sprinted away before his boss spotted him, too.

Attempt 4: Jet

"Listen here, you shitty old man! I'm getting sick and tired of this garbage!"

Bystanders gasped when an Oshawott suddenly marched up to the retired knight and seized him by his vest. Gerard calmly glared at the short, raging otter, not even bothering to defend himself even as Jet tightened his grip.

"You've been wasting enough of our time with your stubbornness, and I've reached the end of my fuse. Now, tell us what you saw in the Great Ruins before I smash your face into those groceries and—"

A couple Vine Whips seized and coiled the otter from behind and pried him off the unfazed ex-knight. He raised his brow as Luna hurriedly reeled Jet in and put him into a headlock before dragging him way. She shielded her face from the gawking and stares of the bystanders.

"I am so, so sorry! I didn't think he would do that!" She pulled him behind some crates. She peeked out again and awkwardly asked, "Th-Though, if you're interested in talking about the Great Ruins now—"

A scowl slowly formed over Gerard's face.

"N-Never mind! Have a lovely day!" She ducked back into hiding.

"Okay, that last one wasn't my fault, and you know it!" Luna snapped. "In what scenario did you think walking up to him and screaming like a maniac was going to get us anywhere?!"

Jet crossed his arms. "Says the hapless knight who thought playing dress-up was an effective strategy."

"I had to try something! He wouldn't talk to me either way! At least I tried to be cordial! You were going to get yourself killed."

He rolled his eyes. "I could've taken him."

"Are you serious right now?!"

"He's a filthy knight from a filthy kingdom. What respect did he deserve from me?"

"The kind that would've gotten us some answers instead of making us look like psychopaths!"

"Didn't you try to gaslight him and make a fool of yourself in public?"

"I was experimenting!"

"Were you experimenting when you did your shift at the watermelon stand?"

"The owner wouldn't believe me, and I put too much adhesive on the fake beard! I was being creative. You lost your temper and decided to solve everything with violence!"

"Because he's a rotten knight that bends the law to their will, or should I regale you with a list of examples regarding the knights abused their status? Shall we start with the Wick Kingdom or perhaps the unknown crimes committed from your kingdom?"

"Y-You are the most…obstinate, temperamental, little bundle of frustration I've ever dealt with!"

"And you're a reckless, untrustworthy halfwit who wasted our time auditioning for the role of Mental Patient Four!"

They pressed their foreheads together and growled. Before they continued their debate with fisticuffs, Zephora finished off the last of her pomegranate and stashed the remaining husk into her cloak. "Hey, Morons One and Two! Mind keeping it down before you alert the police? It's a miracle you two haven't been arrested yet."

"He/She started it—"

"No, no, no, no," Zephora interrupted, wagging her finger at them. "Jet, you have issues to work out. Badly. Luna, you are overthinking the objective and focusing too much on the results. This is why I was assigned to come with you two."

Jet scoffed. "What does it matter? That bastard knight won't spill the truth no matter how many times we ask."

She waved it off. "You two clearly never dealt with stubborn old men." She picked herself up and dusted her arms off. "He reminds me of my grandfather, though he was a stage magician, not a knight."

"…" Luna raised her brow. "A magician?"

"That…sounds surprisingly normal," Jet muttered.

Zephora grinned. "Yeah, he was known for his death-defying stunts. He once locked himself in an iron maiden and put his head through a guillotine."

"Annnnnd there's the morbid twist," Jet grumbled.

"Anyway, my point is that I've dealt with stubborn old men before, so I know how to handle this." She cracked her neck and bounced toward the Sirfetch'd knight.

Jet and Luna peeked over the crates and squinted at the cactus as she closed in on Gerard. "Ten bits says she talks about funerals and scares him off," Luna said.

"Fifteen bits, and she asks him how he would want to die," Jet countered.

"Deal."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Carpenter!" the Vigoroth stall operator greeted, tipping his hat to him. "Here to sample some of my wares?"

Gerard looked at his selection of tomatoes. "Just gathering ingredients." He groaned and massaged his temple. "Though, I'm in desperate need of some medicine for this headache of mine. I've had…a long couple of days."

"Oh, believe me, I've been there."

"I'm just here to pick up some tomatoes. A tray's worth."

"Gotcha, gotcha, good sir!" The Vigoroth pulled out a wooden container and started placing tomatoes inside.

As Gerard searched for some coins, he sensed someone approaching his side. He turned and glared, expecting an obnoxious Snivy or volatile Oshawott, but instead saw it was Zephora. The living cactus folded her arms behind her back and looked around at the selection of goods.

"…What do you want?" Gerard asked hesitantly.

"Hmm?" Zephora waved it off. "Oh, I'm just here to pick up some pomegranates. Can't get enough of them."

"…" He narrowed his eyes cautiously. "That's it?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"No reason." He pulled out some coins and placed them on the counter.

The Vigoroth finished packing the container and handed it to Gerard. "There you go, Mr. Carpenter. Enjoy."

"Thanks." He turned to place them in his wagon, but Zephora held her arm out to stop him. He felt a vein throbbing in his forehead. "If you even so much as mention the Great Ruins, I'll—"

"I wouldn't buy those if I were you."

Her response caught the ex-knight off guard. "Pardon?"

Zephora scratched her chin. "Three of those tomatoes are rotten." She pointed them out, showing that the outer layer was sagging and lacking its natural red luster. "Hard to miss. They might've gone completely bad a day later, and you wouldn't have noticed."

The Vigoroth flinched and started laughing nervously. "Y-Young lady, don't be ridiculous. We source the finest tomatoes from quality farmland. Mr. Carpenter, you know I wouldn't steer you wrong—" He gasped as the ex-knight placed the container on the counter. "Um…"

Gerard crossed his wings and glared. "Is this true?"

The stall operator gulped and said, "Of c-course not! We only provide the freshest—"

Without warning, Zephora reached over and pluck a tomato out. The two men watched her pulled out a dagger and cut off the top of the tomato, revealing the green fuzz in the beginning stages of formation inside. "Fresh, eh?" She took a whiff of it before smirking. "Well, it's not rotting flesh, but it's certainly not a good look."

Gerard snapped his glare back at the operator. "You tried to sell me rotten tomatoes?"

"I…" The Vigoroth clasped his hands together. "I-I didn't think they'd go bad so soon! I mean, I didn't think anyone would notice. Do you know how often people throw away food because they left it rotting for weeks? I just…" He sighed and covered his face. "I'm trying to make a living here, alright?"

Gerard swiped a couple coins off the counter. "Pull a stunt like that again, and I'm informing the authorities."

"Y-Yes, sir…"

Zephora tossed out the remaining rotten tomatoes and placed the container in Gerard's wagon. "Have a wonderful day, sir!" she exclaimed with a snicker.

"Sh-Shut up…" He picked up the basket holding his tomatoes and went out back to examine them.

Gerard inspected the rest of the tomatoes himself, checking for signs of mold, before glancing at the Maractus with a soft glare. "Thanks."

"Eh, it's no big deal."

"How'd you know they were rotten?"

She tapped the middle of her face. "I have a nose for rot. The smell reminds me of home."

Gerard huffed in amusement. "I've trained rookies with some odd talents. First time I met someone with a nose like that."

"That's what happens when you grow up with parents who work as morticians. If you ever need a body dressed up and looking pretty for a funeral, just contact the Beaumont Funeral Services. We do catering for extra. My mom likes making funeral-themed dishes."

"Heh. I'll keep that in mind if I need to look festive for my funeral." Gerard pulled his shopping list. "Ugh, still need to get the meat. That's going to be a pain to carry back."

Zephora leaned down. "Mind if I lend my services? Your wagon is already looking full, and you'll be able to knock out your shopping faster with some extra assistance."

Gerard scratched his head. "Eh, I don't know. I wouldn't want to take up your time, kid."

She waved it off. "Nah, don't worry over it. I was taught to always lend a hand when needed. Besides, it seems to me you could use the help. This is a lot more food than one person can eat by themselves."

Gerard looked away awkwardly. "It's…It's nothing."

"Hey, you can tell me. No judgment here."

"…" He sighed and said, "I'm trying to learn how to cook."

"Oooh, that's nice. Is it for that potluck you're attending this week?"

"That's…more of an excuse. I have enough money to just buy meals, but I've been meaning to branch out my skillset a bit. I was trained to survive off scraps and rations during assignments, especially in the middle of war. I've practically lost my taste for food. I…well, I don't want to sit on my ass for the rest of my retirement, so I want to do something with my life."

Zephora grinned. "It's never too late to learn a new skill. I actually know a thing or two about cooking. If you want, I can give you some pointers."

Gerard raised his brow. "Is this a trick?"

"I have no idea what you're referring to. I am deeply sorry for the way my friends treated you. It was wrong of them to disturb you when you were just trying to go about your business."

He glared down the street. "The stalking is a bit much."

"You noticed that, huh?"

"I wouldn't be a good knight if I didn't."

Zephora chuckled and bowed. "Please, allow us to make up for our rudeness by assisting with your duties. I'm sure there's something we can do to help you."

Gerard scratched his chin. "Hmm, I have been preoccupied with learning to cook these past couple weeks…"

"What's going on?"

"How should I know? I can't read lips, and they're speaking too quietly."

Luna pouted. "Aren't you supposed to pick up on sounds from miles away or something?"

"There's a major difference between hearing something and understanding what someone is saying," Jet retorted. "What about you, oh-great-master investigator?"

"It's not an official title, alright?!"

"Clearly considering you think stalking this jerk for two days was—wait, what's going on now?"

They perked up as Zephora and Gerard started talking livelier with each other, even laughing. Luna and Jet shared an odd look with each other, wondering what was going on between them.

Eventually, Zephora bowed and hopped back over to her comrades. "Alright, I've cleared everything up."

Luna gasped. "Really?"

Jet glared. "Well, at least I get to keep my money."

Luna leaned over the crates and smiled. "That's wonderful! What did you find out about the ruins?"

Zephora snickered. "Oh, I didn't even bring them up."

"What?!"

She patted the Snivy's head. "Luna, honey, badgering someone over and over wasn't going to net you better results. I decided to take the direct approach and actually talk to Gerard. A little bit of flattery."

"But I already tried that!"

"Yeeeeah, out of curiosity, how many friends did you have growing up?"

"…" Luna exhaled deeply through her nose. "I'm not answering that."

"Well, we'll work on your social skills later."

Jet crossed his arms. "So, if you didn't bring up the ruins, what were you two talking about?"

Zephora grinned. "I found a way to stay close to Gerard and earn his trust. If we play it smart for a few days, he'll warm up to us and hear Luna out about what he saw. Simple as that."

Luna tilted her head. "Oh, really? What did you do?"

She smirked. "I offered ourselves up for the whole week to do his chores."

Luna and Jet's eyes widened. "WHA—"

Luna and Jet marched behind Gerard's wagon with sour expressions, carrying crates loaded with faux meat. Zephora bounced dutifully by the ex-knight's side, helping him pick out fresh ingredients whenever they made a stop. She balanced a crate of spices on her head, keeping them anchored with her thorny ears.

Jet sighed through his nose. "Oh yes, this is a wonderful use of my time."

"Oh hush," Luna grumbled. "This wasn't my idea."

Gerard checked off his list and nodded. "Alright, that should be everything. I'll need the whole week to practice this recipe." He looked back at Luna and Jet. "You two will help tidy up my home. I'll set up a list of chores once we get back."

Jet scowled. "I am not your cleaning maid—"

Luna nudged him to shut up, then smiled awkwardly. "OH, we would be ever so honored to help you, Sir Gerard. After all, as a knight of the Verde Kingdom, it is our responsibility to help those in need. And, you know, since we'll be spending considerable amounts of time in your abode, perhaps you could tell us ab—" She shut her lips when Zephora motioned to stop talking.

Gerard narrowed his eyes, but didn't speak further on the matter. "Uh huh." He pocketed his list and continued forth. "I'll be putting you lot through the wringer, so I don't expect any complaining."

Jet opened his mouth to retort, but Luna shot him a glare. He rolled his eyes and relaxed. "Aye, sir."

He nodded and looked up at Zephora. "And thank you again for lending your time out, Ms. Beaumont. I hope to learn much under your tutelage."

She bowed her head. "My pleasure, Mr. Carpenter." She slowed her pace until she was next to Luna. She whispered, "Seriously, do not mention anything about the ruins."

Luna grimaced. "But he's not going to tell us—"

"You said so yourself, the expedition was a disaster. If there really is something important in those ruins that Last Autumn wants, we can't force an answer out of Sir Gerard. I can't imagine anything about that trip was worth remembering."

Jet glared. "You said that he was attacked by some people guarding the ruins, right?"

Luna nodded. "Something like that. Based off what we know, it may be the Crownless King and his court." She glared. "When I interrogated Theobald, he kept dodging my questions, but he kept talking about protecting the history of his homeland. That history, no matter how far we've progressed, is still connected to us."

"What does that even mean?"

"I'm…not sure. I thought he was speaking metaphorically, but now I'm wondering if he's being literal. Not just protecting his culture, but something tangible. I…think he was telling me to figure out the truth for myself. He was telling me what's going on, just worded oddly. Perhaps in case someone was eavesdropping."

Jet raised his brow. "A prisoner of the Verde Kingdom put his trust in you?"

"I guess he figured, me being so young and idealistic, I wasn't corrupted by the passage of war. Naïve, but room to grow and understand."

Zephora glared. "He also told you to be wary of the royal families, even the Penworths."

"I assumed he was talking about King Penworth, but…" Luna glared. "Now I'm beginning to wonder if he meant someone else, or both. Something weird is going on in this region. How much do we actually know about Virdis' development?"

"…" Jet glared ahead. "And Gerard'sbeing so callous about answering us because he knows something. No, not callous. Cautious. He knows something. Something that he doesn't want the Verde Kingdom or anyone else to discover."

Zephora nodded. "Exactly. He's a traumatized warrior who saw something he shouldn't have. That's why we need to approach this carefully."

Luna glared. Sir Gerard. What in the name of Xerneas did you see out there?

Meanwhile…

"Ugh, I'm still borrrrrred!"

Shale sulked by the door of a tailor shop as Regina, Katsu, and Casimir checked out the clothes. Since they need to lay low for a while, Regina suggested they change up their looks to blend in better with the townsfolk. If there really were slave traders in the area, it wouldn't look good for them to know bounty hunters were lurking around.

Casimir placed a cloak back on the rack and glared at his partner. "Quit being a baby."

"I'm not a baby, I am an emotionally charged teenager with a short attention span, and you decided to drag me here to shop for clothes!"

He shook his head. "We can't go around in our normal garb."

"Why can't we just hunt these guys down and beat them up? Boom, bam, bop! See? Easy as that."

"You don't even know what they look like or if there are actual slave traders in the area."

Her eyes shifted to red and purple. "Just look for some creepy guy spying on kids. Bam! Found your slave traders."

Casimir groaned. "Shale, if it were that simple, they would've been caught already."

Katsu smoothed out the vest he was trying on. "Ms. Hakatress, my home empire is allies with New Chariot. They're not going to be so simple to catch. They pick out their targets carefully. If they're hunting in populated areas like this, they'll likely pick off someone who won't be immediately noticed as missing. With how small Nalzona's community is, alarm wouldn't be raised all too soon."

Shale groaned. "This is such a waste of time." She pushed off her hands and flipped to her feet. "You all do your thing. I'm actually going to get work done before I die of boredom." She pushed through the door and exited the tailor shop.

Regina poked her head out from behind a rack and rolled her eyes. "Ugh, she is such a child."

Casimir glared at her. "Says the grown woman who got into a screaming match with her earlier."

"She called me an old hag! Unprompted, too!"

Casimir rolled his eyes and followed after Shale.

"Ugh, finally!" Shale groaned, stomping her feet down the street. "I was going to lose my mind back there." She rubbed her hands together and smirked. "Now to look for some suspicious looking criminals and prove Caz wrong—OOF!"

Lost in her own world, she walked headfirst in a Pokémon in front of her path. She rubbed her forehead and glared up at the Seismitoad in white buttoned shirt and overalls. "(Injured, little woman?)" the man asked.

She rolled her eyes and stepped around him. "I'm-a sorry, but I don't-a a speak-a your language. Goodbye!" She skipped on ahead. Yeesh, that guy's accent was about as bad as mine.

The Seismitoad narrowed his eyes, but kept on walking until he stopped next to an alleyway. He looked around a bit before squeezing his way through. He approached a large trash receptacle, where he found a Bibarel picking his teeth with a toothpick. The beaver dressed in a cloak with the hood pulled over his eyes and plain tunic.

"I finished my rounds. There're some vigor spirits in this town. They'll be perfect for the colosseum. Think we should grab a couple boys, too?"

The Bibarel flicked his toothpick into the receptacle and stood up. "It'll make the matches entertaining. You'd have to be heartless to beat up a child to earn your freedom. Plenty of young women, too. They'll fetch a nice price at the markets. A few of them would be excellent gifts to the emperor. Nightfall, we'll round up our team and get started. Remember, leave no traces."

"Right."

The Bibarel chuckled to himself. "As inferior as the west is, they have some lovely land. I think I'll set up my home here after we've razed everything else to the ground."