21st Winter Moon, 907

Was it unusual to see someone in an extraordinary cheery mood on a Monday morning? For most, that was a yes. Who got excited on a Monday morning? Not Klaus, that's for sure. The twins, they couldn't care less what day it was. And Fabrice? Well, he just seemed so relaxed that he probably didn't know what day it was.

Melissa seemed like a strange case. Klaus never expected the Buneary to be particularly gloomy on a Monday, but watching her bound around in their underground hidey hole with that bright, gleaming grin that could blind Solgaleo was equal parts adorable and unusual. Actually, ever since she got back from her unauthorized trip to the opera—an evening spent with Klaus trying to convince Fabrice and the twins that it was perfectly normal from a princess to take a three-hour bath in a stream—Melissa seemed quite chipper about something.

The slow passage of the weekend prevented Klaus from finding the strength to say anything, but his curiosity finally won him over as he made himself some oran juice.

"Hey, Melissa?"

Melissa looked up from packing her bag and smiled. "Yeah?"

Klaus smirked. "Mind telling us what's got you in such a good mood?"

Fabrice, who leaned against the wall of their underground home, raised his hand and said, "I'm actually curious myself. Are you excited from the Festival della Festa today?"

Melissa giggled. "Well, that is partially the reason, but nope! After I check out some of the food stands, I am going to the library to check out some books."

"So, research?"

Melissa nodded. "Not just any research, of course. Research on some of the Echo Bell Kingdom's holidays and…a particular item of interest."

Klaus' eyes widened. "Seriously? You actually decided on something for your heist?"

Melissa covered her mouth and giggled. "Perhaps~!"

Fabrice smiled. "That's great, Melissa. What is it?"

Her giggles couldn't be contained as she jittered in place. "Sorry, but it is a surprise~!" she sang. She finished packing her bag and slung it over her shoulders. "I want to finalize my findings before I tell you. I want this to be perfect for my test, so I am pulling out all the stops!"

Fabrice nodded. "Very well. I'm looking forward to hearing what you've come up with."

"Thanks!" Melissa bounded up to the exit and climbed out. "I will see you all after sundown! Bye-bye!" She slipped out of the hiding spot and closed the dirt hatch behind her.

Gold and Jewel glanced at each other, then pouted. "It appears she's getting a head start on her heist."

"Trying to show us up, perhaps?" Jewel asked.

"Well, two can play at that game! Our heist will be twice as—"

"No, no, Brother! Thrice!"

"Quadruple?"

"Quintuple?"

"Oh, to heck with it—"

"A hundred times as amazing as hers!" they exclaimed. They scrambled around the hideout and gathered their belongings.

Fabrice sighed and massaged his temples. "Are you two still planning to steal an entire house?"

"You haven't rejected it yet~!" they sang.

"Yes, because I had hoped you two would come to your senses and realize how ludicrous that sounds."

Gold scoffed. "Stealing a house is child's play to the likes of us! Nay, it'll be the greatest robbery in all of Pokémon history! The Thievery Twins cannot be—" He paused for a moment, dramatically holding out his hand. He blinked, then looked at his sister with an annoyed look. "Sister, that's your cue."

Jewel responded with a sad whine. "Brother, terrible news!"

Gold gasped. "Did we lose our sparkly trinkets?!"

"No, worse!" She showed him her bag. The bottom hung open, spilling out whatever contents were inside. "There's a hole in my bag!"

"What?! When did that happen? And how did it get so big without us noticing?"

Klaus walked over and grabbed Gold's wrist. "Perhaps the fibers in your claws have something to do with it." He raised the Meowth's hand, showing the clumps of fiber in his fur and tangled in his claws.

Gold blinked, then scratched his chin. "Huh, I did have an exciting dream where I was playing with a ball of shiny yarn. I was wondering why it felt so real…"

Jewel threw her bag down and huffed. "I need a new bag, now! How can I carry my shiny treats without a proper bag?"

Klaus raised his brow. "You could…buy a new one?"

The twins blinked at him, then threw their heads back in laughter. "B-Buy one?! Are you mad?"

Jewel shook her head and tutted at Klaus. "Tsk, tsk, I cannot just buy some bag. I want it to be special. Something to cradle my shiny treats like a baby."

"Something that speaks to our nature as a pilfering pair," Gold continued.

"And what good's a bag meant for stealing…if it hasn't been stolen as well?" they exclaimed.

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "There's something seriously wrong with you two."

Gold wagged his finger. "No matter, for we have a quest to fulfil."

"I concur, Brother!" Jewel exclaimed. "I need a new bag, otherwise it'll affect the success of our perfect heist!"

"Then away we go, to save our reputation! A new bag awaits!" The twins scurried up the hideout and took off into the capital.

Klaus blinked, then faced Fabrice with a deadpan stare. "How do you guys put up with these weirdos every year?"

Fabrice shrugged. "After the first set, you just get used to them." He stood up and dusted his uniform off. "Though, they and Melissa have the right idea. Why waste the day sitting around when there's a festival to enjoy? Three days of Echo Bell's best cooks showcasing marvelous dishes. Personally, my mouth's watering to try some exotic meals."

Klaus pouted for a moment, then sighed. "Well, I suppose I could try some new soups." He sniffled and wiped his nose. "Preferably something for my allergies."

"That's the spirit." Fabrice picked up his bag. "Shall we?"

Klaus shrugged. "Sure, whatever." He grabbed his own, then followed the Marshtomp out of their hideout. He was already done planning for his heist. No harm in having some fun for a day, right?

Melissa gawked as she entered the capital. Her eyes soaked in the crowded streets lined up with hundreds of Pokémon squeezing by. Sitting outside of buildings were stands she saw being set up the day prior, now fully open to display what was surely gourmet cooking paralleled to the nectar of the gods—an exaggeration on her part, of course.

Hundreds of different smells invaded her nose as she approached the street, savoring in the delectable sight of so many wondrous dishes. Naturally, Melissa was attracted to the prospect of sweets, though saddened she might not be able to try all of them lest she suffer the worst stomachache conceived in ages of Pokémon history. She steeled herself to focus on something other than just sweets—delicious, tantalizing, amazing sweets.

She will go absolutely bonkers if she found crème puffs.

Fortunately, there seemed to be more than just cake, cookies, and pie. Dumpling platters that had a rich, savory scent drizzled in a special brown sauce that made her nose tingle. Fancy breads toasted with cinnamon and nutmeg, infused into the white to make cute images like snowflakes and bells. Plates of artificial meat layered with a viscous, homemade barbeque. A soup that had a strong scent of mango mixed with other fruits.

Oh, but how could Melissa possibly refuse the allure of the desserts being offered? She saw them all, from hand-crafted dark chocolates to fluffy angel cakes topped in a decorative whipped cream to swirled marshmallow treats called zefirs. She hadn't spotted any sign of crème puffs yet, otherwise her coin pouch would be mysteriously empty in five seconds.

Melissa got so lost in her trance that she didn't realize how much ground she covered. She was already halfway through the capital, merely soaking in the sight of the food. She wanted to eat everything she saw, as impossible as that was, but had to search for something else. Or rather, someone.

Fortunately, her search wasn't long.

"Well, well, well, about time you showed up." Melissa broke from her trance and smiled as Armant pushed through the crowd to join her side. "I thought you got squashed on your way here, shrimp."

Melissa crossed her arms and pouted. "Hey, I am not that small."

He bent down, laughed, and ruffled her head. "Whatever you say, shrimp."

Melissa huffed, but dropped the moody attitude for a wide, sunshiny smile. "Anyway, I have some time to kill, and I did promise to join you at some of the tables."

"Gahahahahaha!" Armant clapped his hands together excitedly. "You won't be disappointed, shrimp! This is the only reason to be alive anymore! A feast worthy of a king! The Festival della Feste is the only place to find rich foods of all kinds across the world, and we get to partake in the best of the best! Shall we stuff our faces with the greatest meals between the likes of heaven and hell?"

"I would not put it like that, but yes!" Melissa cheered.

"Then onward! There's a platter of steamed dumplings with my name on it!" Armant marched forth, scaring away the crowd with his intimidating presence.

Melissa giggled and bounced after him. When was the last time she ever been in this good of a mood? First she finds the perfect heist, now she gets to reward her hard work with tasty treats. What a time to be alive, indeed.

Luna didn't think it was possible, nor did she think it would be achievable in a lifetime, but her efforts bared fruit. The archives never looked more spotless. Aside from some scrolls and logs that needed to be filed away, the archives were back to a respectable, orderly state. Everything was filed away based off the archives' shelving system and floors were cleaned of whatever food stains Monica left behind from late night campouts.

Luna even found another shelf. What the odds?

She took a moment to relax and chugged back a chesto coffee to keep herself awake. If Ivone saw her right now, she'd get a good slapping across the head for staying up so late. Though nowhere near as bad as her initial research, she would need a goodnight sleep later in the day. She would've just slept after finishing off the last of the files, but she promised to spend some time with Monica at the festival. Once she found Gerard's records, she'll have to rest up and prepare for the journey home.

Hopefully something at the festival will wake me up. I could go for some soup. Luna yawned and lay her head down on the center table. A few minutes of shut-eye wouldn't hurt.

"Oh Moon Lady~!"

Son of a—

Luna groaned and lifted her head as Monica bounded down into the archives. She turned in time to see Monica's dumbstruck surprise at the unnaturally tidy room. Luna took a bit of pride in that reaction, glad to see her hard work was appreciated even after the hours of mind-numbing labor, late night filing, and battling the evil donut monsters coming for the souls of innocent books.

That last one might have been a sleep-deprived hallucination.

Luna stood up and yawned as she stretched her arms. "Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself."

"No kidding!" Monica zipped around the archives, pulling open drawers and grabbing scrolls out of shelves. "Everything's so neat and tidy! I actually know where everything is now! Well, I sort of did before, but now better than before!" She tackled Luna with a tight, gooey hug. "Oh, thank you, Moon Lady! I couldn't have gotten this place straightened out without you!"

Luna laughed awkwardly and pushed her off. "Annnd, let's keep it that way from now on. I don't want to come back here every six months to clean up your messes."

Monica saluted. "Of course! I shall take your example to heart!" She then grinned and asked, "So, you still up for the festival? Word on the street is that there's some delicacies from the Subterra Kingdom being shown. I heard there's this thing called rock soup."

"Rock…soup?" Luna muttered, wondering if this was another hallucination. Eh, maybe something got lost in translation.

"I don't know what it is, but it sounds delicious! So, what do you say?"

Luna rubbed her eyes. "I'd love to, but I want to find Gerard's records first. After that, I'll come straight to you."

Monica raised her brow. "You sure you don't want to sleep instead? The festival's for three days, so there's no rush."

"No, no, it's cool," Luna assured. "I've been cooped up down here for weeks. Some fresh air would do me some good." She spread her arms out and looked up. "Plus, the sunlight will help reenergize me."

Monica giggled. "You Grass-Types are so lucky. You can just stand in a field and get your energy there."

"Eh, for most, sure, but it's just an energy boost for me. I don't think I can pass up on actual food for light," Luna joked.

"Fair enough." Monica slid back up the stairs, waving back down as she left. "If you decide to come in the next two hours, meet me on Chiarezza Street. That's where most of the Subterranean food is being served. Ciao!" She fumbled up the stairs.

"See ya." Luna plopped back on the ground and grabbed her coffee. "Ten more minutes, then back to work." She sipped her coffee and leaned back against the table. "All my hard work will have been worth it, then I can finally go back to simple patrols. Good grief, I haven't had a break in months."

All of this and more, because finding Gerard's information was only the first half of what's to come. Gerard's retirement never posed any concern and raised eyebrows from the knights of time's past aside from the abrupt announcement of a retirement. If anything, had he stayed the course of a knight, he could've officially retired in the last ten years. She hadn't been in the knights for very long, rounding to about two years at most, and she wasn't even born when King Roscoe married into the Penworth family. Gerard's existence and motives served as an unknown to her.

Matthias didn't know much of his old master's departure, so it was up to Luna to find answers. She just wasn't terribly sure if she'll like what she finds.

Then again, ever since the opera last week, Luna had a lot on her mind besides the questionable detail of her king's background. Perhaps her eyes simply played tricks on her, or she was looking too deep into art like most art enthusiasts do, even if she herself wasn't one such person. Still, it made more sense than the obvious, right?

There were a lot of details to consider about the legitimacy of the play. Obviously not all the details of the Great Kingdom's fall were accurately documented or portrayed in a three-hour performance, one of which adapted for musical numbers and choreographed dancing and fight sequences. Any symbolic meaning behind certain actions were either entirely the director's artistic choice or something specified in the script itself.

Still, the coincidence bared a heavy weight on Luna's mind. A stone crown stabbed by seven knights in retaliation against one of their own, the prince of the Great Kingdom, no less. If that didn't scream Crownless King, what did? Still, it left this awkward sore spot for Luna to analyze amidst her frantic cleaning, trying to decipher the meaning behind such an action.

The original playwright would've never included such an abstract scene unless there was some basis of truth behind it. Perhaps it wouldn't be unusual for Pokémon two hundred years ago to symbolically state their feelings by plunging weapons into freshly carved stone, but would that mean there's a monument of such a scene? Obviously, anyone outside of the ruins couldn't provide an answer, so a secret lay within the ruins themselves. How far must one travel to find the answer?

Most of all, what did this mean about the Crownless King? Who or what was it? Did they intend to overthrow the kingdoms? Commit mass regicide? The only information of that event, and it came from a play with historical gaps for the sake of a flowing plot.

That meant, if she wanted to unveil Virdis' true history, she would need an excuse to go into the ruins.

Just thinking about it gave her a headache. Though the prospect sounded tempting, there was no way the king would approve such a trek, whether or not he knew about Sir Gerard's last expedition to them. Much worse, her own parents would disapprove of recklessly searching them. Even if they don't completely believe the rumors of the ruins being haunted, not even Luna's battle-hardened mother would want her anywhere near them. There was just too much they didn't know about to risk lives over. Information was key to warfare, and whatever specters that haunted the ruins had the whole library.

With a sigh, Luna slurped down the last of her coffee and sat up. "Unless some groundbreaking opportunity knocks me in the back of the head and drags me away, I'll never find out what really happened during the Great Kingdom's collapse."

She relented to her decision and moved over to the remaining pile of scrolls. One mystery at a time, she supposed.

"(My bag!)"

"(My bag disappeared!)"

"(A ghost stole my bag!)"

"(I find that offensive!)" one particularly annoyed Haunter exclaimed. "(Also, someone stole my bag! Help! Police!)"

Gold and Jewel paid no mind to the screaming civilians—mostly because they couldn't under a word they were saying—and examined the bags they absconded with. Well, more so, Jewel was the one examining them while Gold patiently waited for his sister to make her choice. When it came to shiny trinkets, the twins snatched them without thinking. When it came to non-shiny things, it became a matter of taste, especially with Jewel's keen eye for the elite and fashionable.

"Hate it!" Jewel exclaimed, throwing the dirt brown bag over her shoulder. "Really hate it!" She threw the even browner bag aside. "Not sparkly enough!" she criticized the white bag. "This is just a potato sack!" She threw down the aforementioned sack, then kicked it off the roof, followed with the surprised shriek of some poor bystander enjoying the festival.

Gold sighed. "Why are the high and mighty elite carrying this dredge? I thought these people walked around covered in gold."

Jewel groaned. "Well, it appears not everyone in the capital is of the upper class, and even the upper class seems to be modest with their luggage designed for casual transportation."

"How hard is it to steal quality bags these days?"

"How hard is it for these inconsiderate rubes to flaunt precious valuables asking to be stolen?" Jewel groaned.

"They are less rubes and more rubies, Sister, and that would be preferable over these finds." He patted her shoulder. "Perhaps Klaus' suggestion to purchase a bag wasn't as ridiculous as we—"

Jewel slapped him across the face. "You speak madness, Brother! When we want something, we steal it!"

Gold slapped his cheeks and nodded firmly. "Yes, yes, of course! Apologies, Sister! We will find you a new bag for our glorious heist!"

"And it has to be perfect! Better than perfect!"

"It has to be—"

"Shiny!" they cheered. "Shiny, shiny, shiny~!"

"But where to strike?" Gold wondered.

"Who to pilfer?" Jewel considered.

"Perhaps instead of looting from the rooftops—"

"We take a more direct approach from the ground."

"To scope out prime targets—"

"And seize opportunity like a Tauros by the horns!"

"The people of this fair city will be far too busy—"

"Stuffing their faces with the rich, gourmet foods of around—"

"Virdis' best, thus our chances—"

"To swipe without detection—"

"Tripe beyond one hundred percent!" they exclaimed, clapping their hands together.

"Let us find you a new bag, Sister! To the streets!"

"Lead the way, Brother!"

The twins hopped off the rooftop and landed in an alleyway. They peered out through the sea of Pokémon wading through the crowded street. Once they saw their opening to squeeze through, they pulled up their hoods and moved swiftly into the vast unknown of bodies.

"Who throws a potato sack off the roof?" Melissa grumbled as she gingerly tossed the offending bag into a waste bin. One moment she was enjoying a delicious sausage made from the Algus Kingdom, the next a potato sack lands on her head and causes her to ram head first into someone's stand.

Armant's laughter didn't help her embarrassment.

"Gahahahahaha! Someone with a sense of humor, no doubt! Or maybe they were getting rid of their garbage."

"I am relieved there was not actual garbage in that sack," Melissa groaned. She finished her sausage and patted her lips with a napkin. "Mmm, but that was delicious."

Armant smirked. "At least you're trying more than just the festival sweets."

Melissa grinned sheepishly. "Oh, just you wait until I get my hands on some crème puffs. You have not seen my ravenous appetite yet."

"Don't tempt me with possibilities." Armant readjusted the beer keg balanced on his shoulder. "I'm so going back to my room tonight and drinking myself into a coma."

"Heh, please don't," Melissa pleaded with a timid grin.

Armant looked down at her and grinned. "I'm surprised at you, shrimp. You always seemed like a shivering mess awkward fumbling with her words, yet I haven't see you smile like that in…actually, since we met."

"Oh? You mean like this?" Melissa asked, showing off her adorable, cheery grin.

"That's the one! What the heck's that about?"

Melissa giggled. "Honestly Armant, I have you to think for my good mood. That opera you took me to and your kind wisdom helped me a lot. I have been self-doubting my abilities for a while, but I have never felt so confident about something in my life. True, what I actually plan on doing will be daunting and perhaps a tad ambitious, but I will cross that river of nerves when I finish constructing the bridge of emotional stability!"

"That's the spirit, shrimp!" Armant exclaimed. "Light the fires of passion in your stomach and scream out toward the heavens! You feel pumped?"

"I feel pumped!" Melissa cheered.

"You sure? Give me a shout!"

"I feel pumped!" Melissa shouted.

"With that wimpy voice? Louder!"

"I'm pumped!" Melissa yelled.

"LOUDER!"

"I'M SUPER PUMPED!" Melissa screamed. She froze as a whole bunch of eyes started looking in her direction. "Meep…" She pulled her hood over her face, desperately hiding the red glow beaming off of it.

"GAHAHAHAHAHA!" Armant bellowed with a slap of his stomach. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

"So embarrassing~," Melissa groaned.

Armant knelt down and patted her head. "That was a great shout, shrimp. Nothing feels better than screaming into the sky."

"I feel like the sun is burning my face," Melissa whimpered as her face turned a couple shades redder.

Armant shook his head and stood up. "Either way, I'm glad you got those doubts cleared up. Better to live a straightforward life with no regrets, I always say."

Once her face cooled down, she smiled up at him. "You must live an exciting life, aside from all the bounty hunting."

Armant chuckled. "You should've seen me in my younger years. They don't call me Rush Force Armant for nothing. Every day was one exciting adventure after another. Nowadays, I take it easy and enjoy the simpler things in life. I like living as a nomad, even the debts keep piling up. Gahahahaha!"

Melissa giggled. "I do not think I can handle the isolation for so long."

"It's not for everyone. Though, you're bound to meet some strange folks on the road. Some would go to the ends of the earth to meet true legends."

Melissa blinked. "True legends? You mean like Dialga or Jirachi?"

"Something like that. You ever hear stories of people encountering Legendary Pokémon on the road? Come to think of it, I remember this one story over ten years ago. Someone claimed there was a Zeraora that went on a rampage in Rainside Village."

Melissa narrowed her eyes. I heard about that. I was six when Father first brought it up with Mom.

"Crazy stuff like that gets my blood pumping. Some folks even claimed a long time ago they saw the spirit of Yveltal descend upon their land."

A cold shiver ran up Melissa's back. "Y-Y-Yveltal? As in…the God of Destruction himself?"

Armant grinned broadly. "Now, doesn't that sound like a fun time?"

Melissa raised her hands with a nervous smile. "N-Not at all, nope! Not for me!"

"Gahahahahaha! Well, don't let it bother you. No one's reported a sighting like that for decades. Probably just a hallucination or something."

"Hehe, yeah, probably…" Melissa breathed a sigh of relief. After the craziness I have seen, I dare not tempt fate meeting such a monster. Melissa looked ahead and caught a glimpse of the capital belltower, noting that it was half past noon. She smiled and tapped Armant's leg. "Well, this has been fun, but I must get going to the library."

Armant smiled back. "Ah yes, of course. I actually have some plans of my own, too. An…acquaintance of mine wants me to meet him in a back alley for something."

Melissa raised her brow. "That sounds…sketchy."

Armant groaned into his hand. "If you've met him, he's the dramatic sort." He shook his head and smiled. "Maybe we can meet up again tomorrow. Word on the street is that there's these delicious pies specially made within the Arcania Kingdom."

Melissa licked her lips. "I do enjoy a slice of pie. See you tomorrow, then."

Armant ruffled her head. "Take care, shrimp. Ah, and here." He reached into his pack and pulled out a paper bag, dropping it into her hands. "A little something I picked up for you and your pals."

Melissa opened it and beamed at the candy apples sitting inside. "Ooh~!" She pulled one out and chomped into it. She chewed with a cute, content smile on her candy-covered face. "Thank you, Armant! If I find any crème puffs tomorrow, I will be sure to get you some!"

"Gahaha! Can't wait! You take it easy, shrimp." Armant gave her a short wave and walked off into the crowd.

Melissa rolled up the bag and slipped it into her pack. She nibbled on her candy apple and headed for the library. "Best. Festival. Ever!"

"YES!"

Luna dropped everything she was holding and gripped the scroll tucked between her hands, a mad grin stretching over her face. Her wide, slightly bloodshot eyes shimmered with delight as she unfurled the scroll.

Sir Gerard "the Righteous" Carpenter

"Finally!" Luna cried, slamming her head into the table. There were still some files to put away, but Monica can take care of those on her own. More importantly, Luna finally found what she was looking forward. Painstaking hours of searching and rummaging through paper finally paid off.

She opened the scroll once more to check for Gerard's current hometown. The town of Nalzona. Luna wasn't sure where that was from the capital, though she was far too tired to consult a map over it. Just knowing the place was good enough for her.

She rolled the scroll up and rubbed her weary face. "Thank goodness. I can finally sleep." She yawned, struggling to keep her eyes open. "But I did promise Monica I would join her at the festival. I can power through for a few more hours. One more cup of coffee for the road will do me some good."

Luna grappled her bag and slid it over. She slid the scroll into a protective tube, closed it, then nestled the tube into her bag between some books. She yawned again, then fastened the golden buckle on her bag.

"Alright, Monica said she was in the…Subterra section or something," Luna mumbled as she slung the bag over her shoulder. "Something, something, rock soup." She stumbled towards the stairs, accidentally bonking her head into the wall. "Yow!" She massaged her scalp, then carefully ascended the stairs. "Really need that extra coffee."

"Ugh, people…" Klaus groaned, keeping close to the buildings and as far from the crowd as he could. He pulled his scarf over his face and kept his head low as he scooted through the stands, getting some annoyed looks from the stand operators. He mumbled quick apologies and hastened his pace.

Oh, how Klaus loathed crowds. Actually, he didn't like massive audiences in general. Bless his adoptive father's heart, but that man contributed to Klaus' irritation with groups, what with the number of times Klaus had to join him on business with his esteemed business partners for whatever reason. Perhaps it didn't help that most of said partners threw dirty looks at the Morgrem for his sickly disposition and appearance, or perhaps because he was just some street rat taking advantage of his adoptive father's wealth by playing the sick brat.

Either way, Klaus hated crowds, and he especially hated when those crowds kept pointing him out for looking so sick. He just ignored a majority of their pointing and kept moving.

"I need some freakin' soup," he grumbled with a raspy voice. His prehensile hair squirmed beneath his hood, sensing Klaus' need for nutrients. He clutched the pointed hair when it jabbed out from beneath the hood. "I should've asked Fabrice for a quick fix." Of course, he didn't want his superior's enjoyment of the festival ruined with some sluggishness. Klaus will have to manage on his own for now.

Klaus found an alleyway up ahead and slipped away from the crowd. He pulled his hood down and sighed in relief, glad to finally be away from the fuss and traffic. He pulled a brochure from under his cloak and skimmed through the capital map.

"Let's see, where's a good place to get soup?" He used his hair to trace along the rows of stands while keeping his finger on the respective numbers correlating with them. "Hmm, seems there some high mineral soups on this street. Serving delicacies found in the Subterra Kingdom." Klaus squinted. "Am I sick, or does this one say they're serving rock soup?"

He should've been disgusted by the notion that there might have been a soup with actual rocks in it, but then he remembered there were Pokémon that chowed on minerals and rocks. Heck, Shade's species ate crystals for a living, so should Klaus be that surprised?

He sighed and closed the brochure. "Well, if it gets my strength back up, so be it." He tucked the brochure back into his cloak.

"Ah, you made it, my friend!"

Klaus raised his head and looked around the alleyway, but found no one. He twitched his ears and realized the voice came further down through the alleyway.

"You know we could've just talked in a tavern or something, right?"

"Yes, but the back alley if the perfect place to discuss secret dealings. Mood is everything!"

"We're bounty hunters, not drug lords."

Curious, Klaus pulled his scarf around his mouth to muffle his sniffles and tiptoed down the alleyway. As he got closer, he picked out a couple shadows being cast around the corner.

"Regardless of our professions, I have some exciting news! Once again, the Great Frediano has prevailed with his tactical wit!"

"I'm beaming with excitement, pal." Klaus couldn't quite tell if that was sarcasm or a mocking tone. Perhaps both.

Klaus got close to the corner and peered his head around, sticking to the shadows. He spotted a Machamp carrying a large barrel and bags with him, and a glitzy Weavile with a golden mask. The Weavile, perhaps this Frediano he introduced himself as, performed an elaborate series of poses to his larger companion.

"You may praise me now, for the Great Frediano has found decisive evidence to the success of our bet!"

The Machamp's face twitched. Klaus could only see him from behind, but the muscle movement indicated something of an eyeroll. "Pal, I only came here for the food. I don't need to hear one of your elaborate yarns."

"But you also agreed to the bet, friend," Frediano reminded. "You too are just as excited to lay a claim on such promising riches."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. Bet? Riches? What the hell?

The Machamp sighed. "Well, I just need the money. I don't care too much about the property. Though, I could sell it. Bet that would make me enough to pay off my debts."

"Perhaps we could officially combine our strengths? Two premier bounty hunters with talents in both strength and beauty will guarantee a sizable claim."

"Can you just tell me what you've found already?" the Machamp groaned.

"Sigh!" He actually said his sigh. Now Klaus was the one rolling his eyes. "You have no heart for the dramatics."

"I like drama as much as the next fellow, but I don't like having my time wasted by someone other than me."

"Very well!" Frediano exclaimed. "I've scoured the streets for the last week on any information to our prey. My efforts have come with triumphant success, for I have confirmation of the Foresters in this here city!"

Klaus' eyes widened. What?

The Machamp seemed equally surprised with a dash of curious. "Is that so?"

"Do not be surprise. The Great Frediano does not shy away from perfecting his craft! I've dedicated years to hone my skills as a tracker! Granted, I have also discovered to be quite shit at tracking!" he stated with pride. "Regardless, a lovely granny pointed me towards some mysterious thefts over the last several days."

"Mysterious how?"

"We're talking about the worst of the worst crimes. Cutlery, chaussure, jewelry, napkins, chapeau, literature, screenplays, even more cutlery—"

"That…sounds less like a thief or more like a kleptomaniac."

Klaus' eyes nearly bulged out of his skull.

"They are basically the same thing!"

"One's a job, the other's mental sickness."

"Can you deny the horrors this thief has brought to this beautiful city?!"

"I suppose I, too, would be upset over a missing spoon or two."

Klaus pulled away from the corner and slapped himself in the face. Dammit! The twins! What happened to not making a scene?! He sighed and shook his head. Just great! Anything else I should know about? He peered around the corner again.

"Do not take my warnings so lightly, dear Armant!" Frediano exclaimed. Ah good, Klaus had a name for the other fellow. Lovely.

The Armant fellow once again rolled his eyes. "But how do you know this is the Foresters and not just some chump taking advantage of the booming business? There's a festival going on and everyone's bunched together trying to snag deluxe meat, high quality vegetables, and crème puffs."

"Ah, no evidence I possess, but can you deny the opportunity doesn't scream the work of the Foresters? Besides, as you so sarcastically dismissed, what common thief would go about stealing such junk? There are a fair number of weirdos within the Foresters."

How dare…! Klaus huffed.

"I, for one, believe with one hundred percent certainty that these mystery thieves are Foresters!"

Armant suppressed the urge to sigh and pinched between his eyes. "And here I was hoping to enjoy the festival. Alright, look, I'll keep an eye out for anything strange tomorrow. If I find something, I'll bag the creep and pawn them off to you, under the condition I get the reward money. You can keep the land deed."

"The Great Frediano would like the money, but how can anyone not admire me with my newfound status as a landowner? You got yourself a deal!" Frediano shook Armant's hand. "The Foresters won't know what'll hit them!"

Armant, again, rolled his eyes. "Yes, because announcing this in the alleyway was such a brilliant idea. You know someone could hear us, right?"

Klaus covered his mouth and quickly shuffled away from the corner.

"Bah! Again, you lack the heart for dramatics! How can anyone not admire me if they do not hear me monologue! The only reason we're not doing this in public is because the crowd would drown me out!"

"So, why not the tavern?"

"I would be compelled to capture the hearts of my audience! There would be no time to explain my findings!"

"…Out of curiosity, were you dropped on your head as a baby?"

"Three times, according to my mother!"

Klaus took off running back into the crowded streets, heart hammering against his ribcage. Shit, shit, shit! I've got to tell Fabrice now!

"Hmm," Monica hummed as she looked into the murky broth that had, in fact, a large stone wading on the surface. "Does it taste good?"

The Archeops manning the stand grinned. "Nothing better than a tasty rock to get you through the day!" She picked a smooth rock and took a hearty bite out of it with no trouble at all. "The rocks in the Subterra Kingdom are packed full of delicious nutrients!"

"Hmm." Monica looked into her bowl again, then shrugged. "Welp, can't argue with that!" She slurped down the soup and the rock sitting inside it. While the soup went down with ease, the rock sat in her mouth as she tried to chew it. Definitely didn't have the same consistency as any old rock, but snapping it open wasn't any less difficult. "Gah! Grr!" She swished it around in her mouth, trying to bite it open.

Archeops laughed. "Yeah, we Subterranean folk are known for having better jaw strength than you abovegrounders." She threw the rest of her rock into her beak and munched on it happily.

Monica caved in and spat her rock back into the bowl. "Ugh! Well, at least the broth was good…"

"Monica!" The Alcremie craned her neck and saw Luna wading through the dense crowd, stumbling around like a Spinda after being thrown through a hurricane. "Monica! Where are you?"

Monica beamed and raced over, seizing the tired Snivy by the shoulders. "Moon Lady! You made it!"

"Barely," she grumbled. She rubbed her weary eyes and yawned. "I almost felt asleep three times since I left the castle."

Monica clasped her hands together and squealed. "So, does that mean what I think it means?"

Luna offered a light smile, though it clearly held back her own bubbling excitement. "I finally found Sir Gerard's address. He appears to be living somewhere called Nalzona."

"Nalzona, eh? I know that place. It's half a day's travel from the capital." Monica jumped into the air and laughed. "This is great! Now you can finally meet him and ask about whatever crazy thing you were working on!"

Luna nodded, then yawned again. "Though, I have to hold off for a bit. First things first, I need to ride back to the Verde Kingdom and inform Matthias, then we'll probably ride out on official business to see Sir Gerard. I can't exactly just walk up to him and ask what happened, especially if he distanced himself from the kingdom for so long."

"Oh, of course, of course." Monica nudged her side. "Well, I say this calls for a celebration." She grabbed Luna's arm and dragged her through the street. "There's a plentiful bounty of exotic meals to sink your teeth into! Once you get into the swing of things, you'll be awake in no time!"

"Woohoo," Luna groaned, but tried her best to smile. She stumbled a bit with how fast Monica was pulling her. "H-Hey, slow down, Monica! I can't keep up with—OOF!"

The Alcremie's excitement caused Luna to bump into passing Pokémon left and right. Luna muttered half-hearted apologies to the annoyed Pokémon she passed while trying to keep her eyes forward.

"Sorry. My bad. Didn't mean to step on your foot. Pardon me," she rambled off. She took a moment to close her eyes and rub them. She felt a pair of bodies rub against her as Monica slipped through the crowd. "Monica, seriously!" Luna groaned and shouted over her shoulder. "Sorry!"

"Sorry!" the passing Snivy shouted to the Meowth and Purrloin siblings meandering through the street.

"What was that about, Sister?" Gold asked as he watched the Snivy and Alcremie dragging her race through the crowded street.

Jewel, who was busy sipping on her rock soup, shrugged. "Who knows, Brother?" She licked her lips. "Mmm, you should really try this. It's surprisingly delicious."

Gold scrunched his face as he watched her nibble on the rock in the soup. "Sister, you're eating a rock."

"And it tastes surprisingly like rock candy, just a bit harder. If you roll it around in your mouth for long enough—"

"Uh, never mind," Gold waved off before grinning. "By the way, guess what I snagged off that Snivy when she bumped into us." He pulled a brown bag out from behind his back and presented it to his Purrloin twin. "Surprise!"

Jewel gasped, nearly dropping her bowl. "Oh my Arceus, it's perfect! It even has a shiny buckle!"

"I knew you would like it, Sister!"

"Like it? Brother, I love it!"

Gold peeked inside and frowned. "Yeesh, there's a bunch of books and a scroll tube in here."

Jewel waved it off. "Oh, we can just dump that stuff back at the hideout. Now come on, I want to steal more treats. Melissa was right, this festival has so many wonderful dishes!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him through the crowd.

Gold slung the bag onto his back and laughed. "Oh, let's check out the Algus section. I heard they're selling sausages."