"I'm telling you, I haven't seen her in days."

Sadie's head popped up from the book she was reading. She spun around and spotted Jet and Blitz walking by the mess hall. Instantly realizing what they were talking about, she quickly packed her book away and ran over to them.

Blitz shrugged. "Sadie said she's been busy training her new apprentices. Perhaps she's using the vast space of the forest for a little privacy."

Jet groaned. "I'd believe that much, except I haven't seen her for meals, outside her room, or giggling about with Marie or anyone."

Blitz narrowed his eyes. "Come to think of it, I haven't heard from Marie, Pandora, and especially Lillia in a while. Lillia was supposed to help me take inventory of our food supply, but Sadie told me she was sick."

Jet glared. "Sadie…also told you that?"

"Yeah."

"You don't find that a bit suspicious?"

"Can't say I do."

Jet facepalmed. "Pal, I think your girlfriend might be lying."

Before Blitz could retort, the Audino herself slid over to the pair and hooked her arms around them. "Jet! Blitz! My favorite drill instructor and my favorite guy!" She gave Jet a tight squeezed and Blitz a peck on the cheek. "How are you both doing on this wonderful day?"

Jet pulled her arm off his shoulder and glared up at her. "Alright, spill it, yarn-spinner. Where's Melissa?"

"Melissa?" Sadie laughed. "What are you talking about? Melissa's off training her apprentices like she has been the last…six days. Ha."

Jet's glare deepened. "How strange, given I've seen said apprentices around more than I have seen Melissa. They've been hanging around Lucient, Wyatt, and Avel."

Sadie waved him off. "Nah! You just caught them at the wrong time. Melissa's totally been here all week."

"Why did you say that like you're trying to believe yourself?"

She laughed again, this time with noticeable tension in her tone. "You know, what does it matter if you've seen her around or not? The apprentices are definitely being trained because Melissa is definitely here to train them like she said she would, because we all know how honest and upright a person Melissa is, that loveable scamp who never—" Blitz placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to freeze.

"Sweetie," Blitz said with a warning tone. "I know your habits. You only speak that longwindedly if you're trying to cover something up. I can hear it in your voice."

Sadie gulped and chuckled. "You…know me so well, my foggy-eyed Blitzy."

Jet crossed his arms and growled. "Sadie, where is Melissa?"

She cowered back from his intense stare. "Uh, right? Well, you see, the concept of where is a rather fascinating topic—"

"If I don't get an answer in ten words or less, I'm bringing this up with Jason."

Sadie clenched her teeth. "You drive a hard bargain."

"FIVE words left."

She winced. "Melissa's…current location is—"

"Here!" Jet gasped as the Buneary in question threw herself into him, wrapping her arms around him. "Hi Jet, old buddy!" Melissa exclaimed. "I heard you were looking for me!"

Sadie's eyes widened, but quickly darted in the direction of the elevator. It had just risen with Adenine on board with her luggage. Unbeknownst to the operators, Jet, or Blitz, three bodies were hidden behind Adenine's luggage. With no eyes on them, they quickly dashed out of sight.

Jet pushed Melissa off and scowled at her. "Where have you been?"

Melissa grinned. "Training my apprentices, obviously. I…wanted to be extra prepared for the heist and take my newfound teaching position seriously. So, I hosted most of our sessions in the forest, even into the late hours of the night before curfew. Early morning training to late night training."

Jet's glare softened. "But you haven't been at the mess hall all week."

"Eating and training at the same time really builds those bonds, I always say." She glanced at Sadie, who was signing to her behind Jet's back. "I mean…you could always ask Lucient if you want his take on our valuable lesson time. He will spin you one heck of a yarn over it."

Jet's eyes widened. "Uh…no." He glared and shook his head. "The last thing I need is to listen to another chatterbox." He sighed. "Whatever. Just…keep up with whatever you were doing. I need to visit Shade about this headache I'm starting to develop." He walked away, massaging his temples.

The girls beamed at each other and raised their hands for a high-five. They stopped short of the celebration upon remembering the visually-impaired Charmeleon still with them. He raised his brow at them. "I must say, Melissa, I've never heard you that happy to see Jet."

Melissa giggled awkwardly. "Oh, you know…best frenemies, as they say?"

"…" He narrowed his eyes at them. "Uh huh." He gave Sadie a quick kiss on the cheek and walked away.

Once he was out of earshot, the girls hunched over and breathed a sigh of relief. Sadie glared at her best friend and said, "You owe me big time."

She flashed a nervous grin. "I might owe you more than that, actually."

"What do you mean?"

"I will explain in my room once Adenine finishes unpacking."

"Prince Erasmus?!" Sadie gasped. "Are you serious?!"

Adenine squeaked and hid her face inside a pillow she was resting on. "Not so loud! Someone might hear ya."

Sadie winced, then laughed sheepishly. "Oops, my bad."

The girls had gathered inside Melissa, Pandora, and Marie's hut, laying around in a circle with water and snacks as they talked about the perilous three-day journey Melissa's group endured, and the surprising mystery man that awaited Adenine in Senbo Kingdom.

Sadie turned over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling in shock. "It's unreal! It's unbelievable! I would never imagine you being courted by a prince!"

Adenine groaned into her pillow. "No need to make me sound even more undesirable than Ah feel…"

Sadie winced and turned herself over. "I-I didn't mean it like that. You're a wonderful, beautiful, attractive, reliable, honest, sweet, tender, loving, caring, deserving, hard-working—"

Marie clamped her hand over the Audino's mouth. "Yeah, I think she gets the point, Chatterbox."

Lillia sighed dreamily. "He was so romantic to her. Attentive, charming, and a true gentleman."

Adenine pouted. "Don't ya be gettin' any ideas, he's mine." Lillia giggled aloud, which Adenine soon joined in with.

Pandora rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, we get it, you two are in love. No need to rub it in." She smirked evilly. "That wasn't even the best part of the trip. Thanks to Adenine, I was able to get a ticket to the big unveiling at the Talbot castle. I'll be able to get a close look at their big invention and steal the design for myself."

Sadie sighed. "I should've figured there was an ulterior motive to this."

"Hey, I didn't know she was going to the Senbo Kingdom, so…the motives that you claim are ulterior were not motivated until this ulterior trip of hers played out into my favor."

Melissa shook her head. "Point is, we promised Adenine we would go with her to the party so she will not feel so out of place."

Sadie winced. "You guys are leaving again? And so soon?"

Melissa pressed her hands together and smiled apologetically. "Heh, so…would it be too much to ask if you covered for us again?"

Sadie groaned into her pillow. "Are you kidding me? Do you know all the hoops I had to go through to convince everyone you were still here? I practically gaslit Jet into thinking you've been camping out in the woods to attune your apprentices to nature, or some shit like that. Even with Lucient and the brothers helping, it has been an exhausting week for me. Now I have to come up with another excuse?!"

Marie raised her brow. "Odd question, but couldn't you have just asked JoJo to help? She's always hopping around doing her own thing, so it's not like anyone would notice she's missing."

"…" Sadie grabbed her pillow, pressed it to her face, and screamed.

Pandora smirked. "You forgot JoJo was a Ditto, didn't you?"

"I've only talked to her like two or three times, give me a break!" Sadie wept into her hands. Melissa awkwardly patted her back.

Marie rubbed her hands together. "Alright, we've got our escape plan covered. Now we just need to prepare ourselves for the party." She scooted over to Adenine and wrapped her arms around her. "And get this cute thing dolled up for her big meeting with the parents~."

Adenine whimpered and curled herself up. "Anxiety is returnin'…"

Pandora groaned and slapped herself on the forehead. "Ugh, but there's one major issue we haven't circumvented yet. Those nobles will sniff us out like hounds. We wouldn't be able to blend in with those snobs no matter what we pull."

Marie waved it off. "Please, how hard can it be to blend in with some stuffy nobles?"

Melissa glared. "You would be surprised. There is a lot of etiquette one must learn at these types of events, as well as proper dress code, the traditional formalities, one's own speech and dialect, dining etiquette, current Virdis politics—"

Pandora laughed. "Politics?! Piece of cake, I love talking about politics."

Melissa deadpanned. "—and how to talk about them without angering everyone within earshot and starting a brawl."

Pandora rolled her eyes. "You think I would intentionally do that?"

"Pandora, by all means, you have a very…tyrannical viewpoint of the world, thus it would be in your best interest to not bring up politics at all, lest you end up sounding like an overzealous dictator."

She groaned. "Is this about that time I used the bathroom for two hours to practice my evil monologue?"

"I was not even sure who you were intending to monologue towards."

"I have copies written down for everyone in case they try to thwart my plans."

"Including us?" Lillia asked with a raised brow.

"Especially you guys! You never know when a friend might turn on you, or get drunk with power."

Marie groaned. "You getting drunk? What a horrifying idea."

Sadie snapped her fingers, drawing everyone's attention back over. "Girls, focus. You still need to figure out how to get into the party without anyone realizing you aren't nobles."

Marie scratched her chin. "Right, that's a problem. We have a few days before we have to make our next trip to the kingdom. We will probably need alternate transportation without Godfrey carrying us."

Pandora raised her paw. "That's no trouble for me."

Adenine kicked her feet as she sank into her thoughts. As the girls chatted amongst themselves, an idea came to her. "Hey, Melissa?" Adenine asked.

Melissa turned to her. "Yes?"

"Ya know all about that fancy stuff, right? So, do ya think ya could teach us how to blend in with those noble fellas? Ya know, become one with the fancy folk and all that?"

Her eyes widened. "Wait, you mean…I should teach you girls how to act like members of the upper class?"

They looked at each other, shrugged, and nodded at her. "Seems that way, yeah," Marie said.

The Buneary stared at them for a brief moment of silence. The corners of her lips twitched up into a smile, though the girls felt something uncharacteristically sinister about it. A tight curl of her lips into a smirk, her eyes narrowing halfway, and her fingers drumming against each other like she was thinking terrible thoughts.

"Well, is this not an interesting proposition?" Melissa asked in an equally ominous tone. "I needed six months of Forester training in two months, and you gals need an entire life's experience of wealth and status crammed into your heads in three days. This is…going to be very fun." She giggled through her toothy smirk.

The girls shared concerned looks with each other, actually scooting back from Melissa, an action none of them ever thought would happen in a lifetime. Marie whispered, "Something tells me this is revenge for the torture we put her through last year."

Pandora nodded slowly. "Is this what it feels like dealing with me? I'm both scared and proud of her."

The girls decided to use Pandora's underground lab for privacy. They spent an hour gathering up all the materials Melissa said they will need for her lessons, whatever those were meant to be. Sadie, since she will be staying in Fort Lucus, opted to act as Melissa's assistant for the exercises.

Pandora, Marie, Lillia, and Adenine watched as Melissa balanced four books atop her head with her ears drooped to the side and paced around the lab. The books stayed perfectly centered with only the most minute of shifts and sways.

"Despite Verde and Senbo's different traditions and beliefs, nobles within both societies are expected to present themselves with grace and tact, especially the women. The way someone moves, from their posture to their strut, speaks volumes of their breeding and culture. That is why many of the upper class at a young age are taught to manage their postures. If one can move with such perfection as to not disturb a stack of books on their head, they have achieved the epitome of grace."

Pandora raised her brow. "You people actually do that? I thought that was some misconstrued stereotype we made up to make fun of you."

Melissa chuckled. "My mother was very eccentric when she was teaching me. It was something of a game to make it more bearable. It does not magically fix your posture. Everyone is different, naturally, thus postures are different. Still, we are on a time crunch, and it would be in our best interests you at least try to walk with a little refinement."

Marie smirked. "Walk with books on our heads, eh?"

Lillia giggled. "Seems pretty simple."

Melissa's evil grin returned. "Oh, we will see. Sadie?"

Sadie walked over and placed three books on each of the girls' heads. As soon as the weight touched down on them, they tensed up. Pandora widened her stance to keep the books from falling, Adenine trembled as the books slid around on flatter skull, and Lillia made minor attempts to walk while fighting with the teetering stack.

Melissa giggled. "Not so easy, is it?"

"Heh, says you." Melissa gasped as Marie strutted around the lab with the books balanced perfectly on her head. "I'm already getting the hang of this."

"Marie! My word, I never seen you move so elegantly before." Melissa was stunned, having grown accustomed to the Mawile moving around with a limp. She never imagined she could walk so naturally. "What of your leg?"

Marie balanced on her right leg and snickered. "Hurts like hell, but as long as I'm not running around, I can manage. There's a lot more about me than meets the eye, hon." She winked at her.

Melissa giggled awkwardly. "Indeed, there is. Well, at least you should not have much trouble blending in."

"I…think I am getting the hang of this." Melissa turned back to Pandora as she took advanced forward one paw at a time. Her stance remained wide, and the books wobbled around unsteadily with each involuntary jolt. "Hehe, see? Perfectly under control."

Melissa crossed her arms and smirked. "Uh huh—ooh! Hi Eadwulf! Is that a bouquet you have there?"

"AAHH!" Pandora spun around, throwing the books off her head. Her ears flopped to see no Nuzleaf with flowers by the entrance. She glared at Melissa. "That was a dirty trick, Melissa!" Her scowl quickly faded into a beaming smile. "I'm starting to love this devious side of yours."

Melissa giggled. "Why, thank you."

"Which means I have to get you back at a later date."

Her eyes widened with horror. "I have made a grave mistake…"

"AYIEEEEE!"

The girls flinched as Adenine and Lillia toppled over each other, scattering the books onto the floor. Adenine dizzily lifted her head and mumbled, "Ah feel like a Spinda caught in a twister…"

Sadie smirked at Melissa. "Oh, I'm going to love what else you have in store for them."

Charlie shifted in his throne seated next to Roscoe's, trying to find the right position to sit in. The chair was made of a dark metal, bronze in color, with cushioning on the seat and backboard for comfort. It was the seat of the princess, but it was henceforth Charlie's throne as the new heir.

"Charlie," Roscoe spoke up, gaining the Clobbopus' attention. "Do you know one of the purposes of being king?"

The child squinted as he thought for an answer. "Hmm…to make people angry with taxes?"

"…Not necessarily." He sighed and straightened up. "A king's job is to provide for his loyal subjects and maintain the upkeep of his kingdom. It is not uncommon for select members of the community to reach out and address the current woes of the capital, just as there is no shortage of requests from the neighboring kingdoms."

Charlie tilted his head. "Not many people from my village ever went to talk to you, and we have LOTS of problems there."

Roscoe glared. "As I am aware." Again, he sighed. "My point is, as king, you are the face of the kingdom. We have an internal council to regulate suggestions before being officially made by me. Though I hold all the power, it is necessary to have a council to deliberate before any final decisions. As the face, however, we see to the requests of the people to show we are on their side."

"…" Charlie blinked at him slowly. "So, why was my village still a dump?"

"…" Roscoe groaned. "Charlie, the point of today is to give you experience dealing with nobles and members of the community. I advise you focus on the assignment and watch me closely."

The octopus nodded. "Okay."

Roscoe snapped his fingers. "Send them in."

The doors parted open. The first to enter through were an elderly Kabutops hobbling on a cane and a Galvantula wearing six-lensed glasses. They stopped at the foot of the elevated thrones and bowed to the royal pair.

"Greetings, my king and prince," they greeted.

"Rise," Roscoe ordered. "What is the purpose of your visit to my castle?"

They raised their heads. The Kabutops stepped forward and extended his scythe-shaped limb. "Hear our most modest request, Your Majesty, for we represent the voice of the people in our humble community in Esruwood Town. I fear we bring news of the current concerns growing outside the walls of the castle."

The Galvantula nodded. "A tragedy, it would seem, as befallen our town as of late. As you know, we run a trading system between other towns within the kingdom, supplying each other with our town's commodities. We make wool generously donated by the Dubwool, the Flaaffy, and many others who can produce it. However, I fear one of our wagons was attacked by an unknown assailant."

Roscoe glared. "A robbery in broad daylight? When did this happen?"

"Five days ago, I'm afraid," the Kabutops said. "The driver and the steeds were sadly killed just a few kilometers short of reaching the next town."

"If you are requesting protection for your next deliver, I could contract a couple knights to—" Roscoe started to say until the Galvantula raised her foreleg.

"I'm afraid that's not why we're here, Your Majesty," she said. "While the protection would be nice, a grave rumor has spread in light of this travesty. There are whispers in the wind of the assailant being of New Chariot boundaries."

Roscoe's eyes widened. "The New Chariot Empire?"

Kabutops nodded. "There have been rumors of late of spies invading towns and attempting to recruit Pokémon into their armies. Many speak of their propaganda as a chance to rid themselves of the declining state of the Verde Kingdom. I have yet to hear of anyone who accepted their proposition, but this recent attack as the people in fear of their lives. There is concern through the streets, and accusations of fellow neighbors in cahoots with these spies. The people are scared we are not as safe as they once were."

Roscoe glared. "That is…"

Charlie tilted his head. "Why would they do that?"

"…" Roscoe closed his eyes and sighed. "If I am correct, did you come here to ask me to dispel these rumors?"

"What we want is for someone to flush out these spies, if there truly are any," the Galvantula said. "These are nothing but rumors, but the people's faith is waning as we speak. Ever since the princess disappeared, more and more of these rumors started popping up to the point where we've stopped believing this to be a mean-spirited prank."

"We ask that you try and sort out this mess before it gets out of hand," Kabutops said. "Can you see to wiping out these whispers from our homes and put an end to these threats?"

Charlie glanced at Roscoe and noticed him clutching into his armrest, digging his fingers through the armrest's cushion. He looked up at his adoptive father with concern. "Mr. Roscoe?"

The octopus' call brought Roscoe out of his trance. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Sorry, sorry." He cleared his throat and glared down at his subjects. "I will have to deliberate over the matter, though I will see to it that any potential spies are apprehended."

The pair bowed to him. "Thank you, Your Majesty." They turned and made their way out of the throne room.

Roscoe sighed and pinched between his eyes. "Now we have spies in our territory? Is the emperor truly so bold to stampede through my kingdom that he can rally a revolt against me first?"

Charlie stared at the throne doors with a worried look. "Does this mean we're going to war?"

Roscoe frowned at him. "I cannot say whether or not that will come to pass. That is one of the sore spots of being a king. Sometimes you have to make the tough choices to help others, and sometimes you have to consider the consequences should you fail."

"…Being a king must be really hard."

Roscoe sighed. "You have no idea, kid."

"Lesson Two: Dinner Etiquette!"

Pandora, Marie, Lillia, and Adenine sat at a foldout table with their dinnerware arranged in an usual way for their uncultured eyes. Four plates of decreasing size, a napkin, three forks, three spoons, three knives, and three glasses. They stared at the odd setup with varying degrees of confusion, looking to each other with skeptical glances.

Melissa paced around the table and cleared her throat. "When engaging company at dinner, one most know the formal setup of the dinnerware. Each item in front of you serves a different purpose for your various meals you are typically presented. Fancy parties at the royal castle are not your typical soirees where you stand around and chitchat with a glass in hand. These are sit down parties with only the finest meals for the guests—"

"Yeah, that's all well and good, Mellissa," Pandora interrupted as she scowled at her setup. "But what is the actual purpose for all these dishes?"

Melissa slid over to her side and hovered her finger around the setup. "Well, this fork, knife, and plate are your dinner plates for the main course. These are for your salad. This plate and spoon are for the desert. The glasses are for your water and wines. These are for your soup—"

"That's absurd," Adenine interrupted. "Back home, we just pile everythin' onto one plate and chow down until we get fat, sometimes with just our hands."

Melissa deadpanned at her. "Yes, and that is why we are having these lessons."

Lillia picked up one of her forks. "This seems like a terrible waste of dishes. I feel sorry for whoever has to clean these after the party."

Pandora rested her forelegs on the table. "Well, as long as I get a nice juicy steak out of this, I'm not complain—YAH!" Sadie popped up out of nowhere and sprayed her with water. "What the what?!"

Sadie grinned. "Sorry, Melissa told me to do that if I spotted you doing something improper."

"Eh?!"

Melissa wagged her finger and tutted. "You should not put your elbows on the table. It is bad manners."

Marie spun her knife on the tip of her finger. "Hehe, she told you off—AH!" Sadie spritzed her, too. "Hey!"

"No playing with knives at the table!" Melissa yelled.

Marie threw her hands up in protest. "What do you think I'm going to do, stab someone's eye out with a fork?"

Melissa sighed and clapped her hands, ordering Sadie to deliver their meals and drinks. As they weren't exactly swimming in fine dining quality, they opted for leftovers they acquired from Lambert. After Sadie served their meals, she poured water in their water glasses, bowed, and stepped away.

Melissa gestured to her friends. "Please, enjoy."

Lillia squinted at her glass. "This feels like a trick, though I am thirsty." She took her glass and sipped it.

Pandora groaned as she picked up hers. "Whoever came up with this etiquette stuff needs to be drawn and quartered—YAH!" Sadie spritzed her again.

"Elbows off the table!"

"It was just for a second!"

Adenine nervously hovered her hand over the forks. "Oh dear, which one was the dinner fork again?" She reached down and touched one, but noticed the subtle shake of Melissa's head. Adenine moved her hand over to another fork, earning a smile of approval from the rabbit. Adenine sighed in relief and picked it up.

Pandora pouted. "Why doesn't she get sprayed?"

"Because we are doing this for her, and I do not want to exasperate her anxiety." Melissa patted her head. "You, on the other hand, I will show no such restraint for."

"Favoritism!" she yelled.

Melissa scooted over to Adenine's side. "It is also good manners to keep the edges of the plates clean for your servers when they come to collect them."

"Oh, uh, right…" Adenine mumbled.

Lillia grinned. "Get use to this, Ad, because you may have to learn this stuff for when you get married."

"EEP!" Adenine dropped her fork and hid behind her napkin.

"Hee, I'm just teasing." Lillia sipped from her glass again, earning her another spritz. "H-Hey!"

Melissa waggled her finger. "You must drink from where your lips first touched the glass."

Lillia's eye twitched. "Okay, slowly agreeing with Pandora's quartering plan…"

Marie sighed and leaned forward on the table. She smirked up at Melissa. "You are having too much fun with this, aren't you?"

Melissa giggled. "Now you see what I had to learn over the last eighteen years of my life. Oh, and…elbows off the table!"

"AGH!" Leon cried out as he skidded across the training deck. He dug his shield through the floorboards to slow himself down, narrowly stopping on the edge. He panted, his legs trembling with exhaustion and sweat dripping from his metallic hide.

"You need to put more of your weight into the attack." He looked around his shield and glared at Tank, who stood off to the side. Directly ahead of Leon was the wild Midnight Lycanroc, Hedwig, in her torn uniform. She stood on all fours, growling at the winded Aron.

"What do you think I'm…doing?" Leon grumbled.

Tank shook his head. "Body Press uses the physical defenses for all its power, not raw strength. You're trying to use the bulk of your body as a living weapon. This isn't like moves that rely on weight like Heavy Slam or Heat Crash. Even something as small as a rock can break the mightiest boulders if its exterior is tougher. You need to bolster those defenses and ram with all the force you can muster."

Leon gritted his teeth. "I'm trying!" He charged at Hedwig again, facing his shield forward.

Hedwig grinned and spread her arms out. "Give it to me, puny insect!"

Leon snarled and kicked off with his rear legs. "Body Press!" He rammed into the unguarded wolf's torso, pushing her back a few centimeters. Hedwig barely looked perturbed by the attack as an ominous red aura surrounded her paw.

"Counter!"

Leon quickly pulled back right as Hedwig threw her punch. He blocked with his shield and clenched his teeth as he flew backwards. He dragged his feet through the floorboards again, deepening the groove he was making through the wood. He doubled over and panted as the strain of her punch rang through his body.

Hedwig laughed. "You are strong, but you would make a terrible hunter!"

Leon growled. "You…!"

"Leon!" He winced and turned to Tank, who glared at him disapprovingly. "Control that temper of yours. You must not give in blindly to emotions. Use your rage internally to fill your resolve, but do not let it guide your actions."

He took a couple more breaths and relaxed his body. "I'm not…angry."

Tank shook his head. "For as stoic as you try to act, you can't fool me. You need to get a better handle of that temper if you want to master this training." He raised his brow. "This isn't about that conversation we had last month, right?"

"…" The Aron turned away.

Hedwig groaned. "What are you two talking about? I thought I came here to fight."

Tank shook his head. "Hedwig, take five." She shrugged and hopped up into the snow-covered trees. The Smeargle approached his protégé and looked down at him. "Leon, look at me."

"…"

"I said look at me, Leon."

"…" He sighed and looked up at Tank. "What?"

"This is about your grudge with the Talbots, isn't it?"

"…" Leon closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. "I overheard Pandora and the girls talking about some big party in the Senbo Kingdom last week. It's been on my mind." He scoffed. "Probably wasting all their taxes on some stupid statue…"

Tank crossed his arms. "You're seriously letting this bother you?"

"I just cannot accept the idea of them being good people. They're twisted, corrupted royals who let my town burn to the ground without a care." He scowled. "What I wouldn't give to walk up to that smug prince and—" He stopped as Tank pressed his bulky finger to his forehead.

"Look, I don't know the Talbots personally, and neither do you. I can't say what they were thinking when Boldvale fell, but I don't like the way this is affecting you." Tank glared. "I'm really worried about you, Leon. You're obsessed, and it's going to get you in serious trouble if you ever act on these dark thoughts of yours. I know what happened traumatized you, but this isn't a healthy mindset. Trauma is not an excuse, and I don't want you doing something stupid that can get you and everyone else in trouble."

Leon scowled. "You wouldn't understand."

Tank glared. "No, I can't say I would, but I know what trauma can do to a person." His eyes darted to his prosthetic hand. "And how it can hurt the victim, and others who only wanted to help. But no, I can't say I understand what revenge feels like."

"…" Leon looked away.

"Listen, I recommend talking to Blitz after our training session. He's something of budget therapist here at the base. You need to talk to someone with a bit more patience, and that's coming from a guy who spends hours trying to make a single sword."

"…Alright."

"One more thing." Tank tapped Leon's forehead gently. "Promise me you won't act on these dark impulses. I doubt you ever will, but I don't want to leave it up to chance. You need to work out this hatred of yours before it causes more harm than we can handle."

"…"

"Promise me you will keep that hatred in check."

"…Alright. I promise."

Tank sighed. "Thank you." He pulled away. "You still up for training?"

"…Yeah."

"Okay. Hedwig!" The wolf dropped out of the trees right beside Tank. "Let's go again. Try to lean more into your tackle this time."

Hedwig got into her stance and smirked. "Bring it on, insect!"

Leon sighed, readied his shield, and charged once more. "Body Press!"

"Ballroom dancing!"

The girls stood in pairs, with Lillia partnered with Pandora and Marie partnered with Adenine. Pandora and Adenine wore dresses while the other two stuck to their normal uniforms. Pandora groaned as she kicked the inside of her large skirt. "Who makes skirts this big? This is so impractical."

Adenine shook her head. "Ah'll modify yer dress later tonight."

"Focus!" They turned to Melissa, who was dressed in her own gown. "Ballroom dances are a form of social interaction between partners, a height of sophistication. There are many styles, but I will teach you the common ones. Sadie was kind enough to look up the most popular styles used in the Senbo Kingdom."

Sadie bowed. "It pays to be friends with a princess. You wouldn't believe how often I had to help her practice."

Melissa rolled her eyes and smirked. "You complained a lot about me stepping on your toes."

"Well, let's see if you still got it."

Melissa curtsied. "Very well. Pay close attention, girls. This style is the Kalosian Waltz." She placed her arm over Sadie's shoulder and grasped her left hand. Sadie hooked her arm around Melissa's waist. "The male partner traditionally takes the lead. Observe."

The girls watched as Sadie and Melissa spun gently across the lab, following a marker previously placed on the floor. The pair swayed across the marker with elegant sweeping spins, almost like they were gliding across the floor. Sadie would spin Melissa by her hand and pulled her in with the Buneary's back to her chest, then spin her out again before resuming the waltz.

"This classic rotary dance you see has a few other steps to it," Melissa said as she spun with Sadie. "Often in big groups, the leads will pass off their partners in a select direction and dance with a new partner. There is also the dip, where you bring your partner down close to the ground, and a fun move where the lead lifts their partner by the waist and—" Sadie cut her off by demonstrating the action, picking Melissa up and spinning her through the air as she twirled, and gently setting her back on the ground. "Like that!"

Pandora glared. "Great, now you want us to dance with complete strangers?"

"I get to meet a bunch of cute guys while they hold me close to their bodies?" Marie asked with a lustful purr. "I'm suddenly fascinated with this style of dance."

Adenine frowned. "Does that mean Ah won't be dancin' with Erasmus?"

Melissa shook her head as Sadie twirled her by her hand. "I am sure Erasmus will want to keep a close eye on you. He would not want you being overwhelmed. There is more than just this one dance, I promise." Sadie spun her out, their arm fully extended, and they bowed to the girls. "Alright, now you girls give it a go."

Lillia smiled. "This should be fun. Come on, Pandora!" She grabbed the disgruntled Growlithe's hand and dragged her along.

"That big unveiling better be worth this," she grumbled.

Marie took Adenine's hand and led her to the marker. All three pairs stood evenly spaced out on the circle, facing their respective partners.

"Be sure to bow and curtsy to your partner before we begin," Melissa said. Sadie bowed while Melissa curtsied to her.

Lillia and Marie bowed to their partners, and Adenine curtsied to Marie. Pandora, however, was struggling to stay on her hindlegs due to the weight of her skirt. She flailed her forelegs around.

Melissa giggled sheepishly. "Uh, I should have probably mentioned quadrupeds do not have to do it on their back legs. Just mirror out the movement."

Pandora huffed in relief and fell onto her paws. "Thank goodness!"

"Now, follow my and Sadie's lead." The girls took their positions, with Pandora hoisting herself up and unsteadily using Lillia's shoulder to balance herself. The girls started the dance and spun around on the marker.

Melissa and Sadie, as expected, moved beautifully in sync with each other. The others weren't so coordinated, however. Pandora struggled to move on two legs and kept shaking Lillia as they tried to mime out the more complex actions. Though Marie and Adenine weren't having nearly as much difficulty, their movements were much stiffer. Marie moved rigidly, even as she prepared to spin Adenine, and Adenine tensed up whenever they performed one of the complicated maneuvers.

"All it takes is practice," Melissa said. "You girls will get the hang of it eventually."

Pandora groaned. "This would be more tolerable if I was dancing with Eadwulf."

Melissa smirked. "I can ask him if you want."

The Growlithe's face turned bright red. "Err, no thanks! I don't want him to see me wearing this frilly dress."

Marie grinned. "Ah, but you look so adorable in it."

"I am an evil mastermind! I am not supposed to be adorable!"

"Doesn't stop you from acting adorable." Marie snickered. "You look so cute when you wag your tail explaining some big scheme."

Pandora pouted her bright red cheeks. "…Shut up."

Melissa winked at her as she spun past her. "Seriously, I would not mind asking. I can just say you girls were interested and needed some dance partners."

"…" Pandora looked off to the side, her face glowing brighter. "I will think about it…"

With the sun beginning to set, the girls called it a day and headed back to hang out in Melissa's hut. As they let themselves inside, they collapsed to the floor in exhaustion, all but Melissa and Sadie who stepped over them.

"So…tired…" Lillia groaned.

"Leg muscles…cramping," Pandora huffed as she dragged herself to her workstation.

Marie pulled herself to her hammock and collapsed in front of her storage chest. "Good grief, being fancy is exhausting."

Melissa giggled. "Welcome to my world. You girls can rest up while I get you some to-go meals from Lambert."

"Please and thank ya," Adenine groaned. "I still need to make those modifications to the dresses."

Melissa nodded and grabbed the door handle. "I will be back in a moment. Rest up!" She closed the door and hopped toward the mess hall. "Ah, karma justly delivered." She snickered. "Pandora was right, being evil feels pretty good. I should try it more often—"

"Master Melissa!" She shrieked, nearly catapulting herself into the trees, when Felix and Victoria ran up behind her.

She held her chest and took a few deep breaths before facing them. "Oh, uh…hi Felix, hi Victoria."

Victoria pouted. "We've been looking all over for you. We wanted to talk to you, but Lucient kept saying you were busy making preparations for the heist."

"Oh, um…" She tapped her fingers together and laughed sheepishly. "I am terribly sorry, you two. I just wanted to go over my notes and make sure I had everything in order. You never want to be reckless when stealing a valuable crown from a kingdom, am I right?"

Felix sighed. "Well, since we found you…" He grinned. "You want to see the new technique we came up with? Victoria and I were brainstorming team combinations, and we bet it will be perfect for the heist. It has the best of both worlds!"

"Ba-BOOM here and Ka-BOOM there!" Victoria exclaimed.

Melissa's eye twitched, a frightening flashback of her first day with them coming back with a vengeance. She could still hear the explosions ringing through her ears, the trail of destruction left behind by the reckless duo. She had a much more productive time teaching her friends noble standards. She couldn't even handle an hour dealing with her apprentices' shenanigans.

"Uh…" Melissa laughed awkwardly. "You know what? I am actually really tired right now and could use something to eat. Perhaps another time?"

Their smiles dropped. "What?"

"I-I mean, I would love to see, but I am just so tired. But hey! I am sure Lucient, Wyatt, and Avel would love to see it. After all, they are your partners."

Felix narrowed his eyes sadly. "But, we were really hoping to show you. I know we've been a bit much, but—"

"AND that is exactly why you should take some notes from your fellow Foresters," Melissa interrupted with a forced smile. "Trust me, they are much better at this stuff than I am, so…you might learn something more worthwhile…from them…"

Victoria tilted her head. "Master Melissa, are you okay?"

Melissa hesitantly lifted her hand to grip her chest, but stopped upon remembering the bare space underneath. She gritted her teeth. "Y-Yes, I am fine." She forced a smile again and shuffled off. "Well, I am going to need that dinner now. Later!" She dashed off before they could get another word in.

Felix and Victoria looked at each other, disappointment all over their faces. "Were we that bad?" Victoria mumbled.

Felix sighed. "She must not like us." He shook his head. "Let's just go back to our room." Victoria nodded glumly and followed behind him.

With the day over, Charlie was free to leave. He shuffled out of the throne room, eyes drooping and arms hanging limp by his sides. He let out a groggy yawn, nearly tripping over himself as turned a corner. He shook himself awake and kept scuttling along before reaching the stairs. He blinked his weary eyes and scanned the harrowing climb ahead of him.

"…Not worth it." He faceplanted onto the floor and instantly passed out, snoozing soundly.

His impromptu nap was, thankfully, noticed as Hilda and Gustavo came out from around the corner. They shared a look with each other, then approached the sleeping Clobbopus.

"Long day for the little guy?" Gustavo asked.

Hilda scooped him up. "He's only ten-years-old, and still adjusting to everything. Most kids in his situation would've probably quit halfway, though he does seem determined to become the new king."

Gustavo crossed his arms and sighed. "The king must've made the position sound enticing."

"Perhaps." They walked up the stairs to the next floor. "He's a sweet kid, still brimming with that childish innocence, though I hope the king doesn't intend to exhaust him. Charlie might become a great king in time, but…" Hilda frowned.

Gustavo touched her shoulder. "Still thinking about Melissa?"

"I know how much she wanted to become queen." Hilda shook her head. "I can't imagine what she's getting herself into right now."

"She does seem to be more confident than before, or at least based off those wanted posters," Gustavo mumbled. "How much of those rumors about her being a wild psychopath do you think are true?"

Hilda gently slapped the Gengar's shoulder. "Oh, don't be so foolish, you know those are just exaggerations." She looked down at Charlie. "She must be upset she was replaced with a new heir. If she…ever comes home, what do you think will happen?"

Gustavo frowned. "Can't say. So much has happened since she disappeared. I'm not sure if she would be considered emotionally stable to become queen, or at least depending on her story if she's ever found. I'm worried, though. Eventually, someone's going to find out Harlow and Melissa are…you know, the same. If that ever gets out, I can't even imagine the backlash."

Hilda sighed. "Then I hope she stays safe. I may not approve of what she's doing, but I want what's best for her. I trust Melissa to do what she thinks is right."

They entered Charlie's room and tucked the sleeping Clobbopus into bed. Hilda smiled as the child nestled into his pillow and yawned.

"This reminds me of how I would tuck Melissa into bed," Hilda said. "She would get so tired finishing her assignments for her old tutors, she'd pass out right on her desk. I think if Melissa ever meets Charlie, she would be happy to have a little brother as dedicated as she is."

Gustavo smiled. "Yes. Yes, she would."

After Hilda closed the curtains to the windows, she and Gustavo stepped out of the room. Hilda creaked the door shut, peeking in one last time with a warm smile. "Sweet dreams, Charlie." With a gentle click, she closed the door.