Ch.18: Entering the Shady Fuego Village! Encounter with the Charismatic Dewott!
"My feet are getting tired!" Gwyn groaned, still not used to these long treks. They have been walking for five hours since they departed from their camp this morning. Her stomach growled at her like a vicious Arcanine cornering its prey. "When are we going to stop for lunch?"
Wes, who held the map up to his face, glanced back at her. "Calm down, Gwyn. We'll be stopping by at a village very soon. We can get some lunch there."
"I don't think I can last that long…my poor, wittle feet are giving up on me…" she whined, tears streaming comically down her face. She draped herself over Flint's back, surprising him. "Please carry me~!" she pleaded to him with a soft, cutesy tone, her eyes shimmering, giving him the puppy dog look. She even added a little whimper and lip quiver for effect.
Either Flint had a heart of stone or he knew better than to fall for her trick, because, with a playful smirk, he bounced her off. She landed on her rear. "Come on, Gwyn, you can't give up that easily. Walking's good for you." He narrowed one eye as he looked at her closely. "You should really exercise more if this is tiring you out."
She pushed herself up and dusted her sleeves. "Hey, I'm not an athletic super Pokémon who spends her days climbing mountains and running ten kilometer distances every single day. I spent my days cooped up in a modest potion shop."
He chuckled. "We don't even do that. Plus, that isn't a good enough excuse to skip out on walking. And I'm certainly not carrying you the rest of the way."
"I wouldn't be complaining so much if I was running on empty!" She groaned again as her stomach fought back with a vengeance. "Ooh, I don't think I can make it…" She fell on her back, eyes drooping. "Go on without me, friends. I'll only slow you down." She coughed loudly, arms spread across the dirt.
"This is the end of my journey. I wish you all…the best of luck…" Her eyes snapped shut with her tongue lazily sticking out. She laid there, 'dead' on the ground.
Ella walked over to her, shaking her head with an amused grin. She winked at Flint before saying, "Oh dear, our poor comrade and friend has keeled over from exhaustion! Oh, the tragedy! How shall we ever move on?! We must give her a proper burial, to remember the fond memories we shared on our journey! Such a shame, too," she emphasized dramatically as she pulled a bread roll out of her bag. "If only she were still alive, so I could give her this delicious bread to quench her ferocious hunger!"
The 'dead' Mew immediately shot up, eyes lighting up happily. "Second wind!" Ella passed her the bread roll and she began nibbling on it happily like a chipper child.
Ella patted her head. "Well, looks like we don't have to bury your body." She grinned at the Espeon playfully.
Wes chuckled with his forelegs crossed. "Alright, alright, as much as I want to horse around for a bit, we're nearing our next destination. We'll be stopping by Fuego Village for a few days to restock before heading back on the road. We'll be renting a place to stay during that time."
Flint shivered uncomfortably. "You really want us to stay in a village IN the Fire Zone?"
It has been some time since our adventurers left the Earth Zone. Four days of travelling and they've taken notice of the different atmosphere in this new climate.
The Fire Zone, most notably, had a severe lack of plants. Ones they did come across, though, were extremely hazardous and had to be avoid. Fortunately, the part of the zone they were crossing lacked the ash storms that tend to blow through occasionally. Though, in this place, there was a good chance of that happening.
The ground itself was mostly cracked earth. The sky was filled with dark clouds, where bits of sunlight managed to peek through more often than one might think. Then, of course, was the higher wind storms. Hotter areas such as this attracted more wind than any other region.
Gwyn swallowed her bread and stood up, patting her hands clean. "You still haven't told me what's so bad about this place. Sure, it's not…the most pleasant area I've ever seen, but it could be worse."
"It's not the zone the bugs me, it's the population I have issue with," he explained.
Wes rolled his eyes. "Flint…"
"I'm serious, bro." He turned to Gwyn again. "You see, this is one of the poorer zones in the Mysto region. This is one the many places in the world where you'll find many slums lying about. Those who live here are usually those who can't support themselves and have no choice but to live in these harsh conditions…" he then muttered, "That, or idiots who bet their life savings in gambling matches.
"That's not what has me uneasy, though. The Fire Zone has one of the highest crime rates of any other zone. I'm not saying everyone is like this, because there are many who stick to their morals, but you'll find Pokémon here who steal out of desperation or for their own pleasure." He narrowed his eyes. "I tend to stay as far away from this zone as possible. That last thing I want is to get mugged in broad daylight."
"Oh my…" Gwyn muttered. "Those poor people…"
Flint patted her back. "Don't worry about it too much. A lot of folks out here have learned to handle themselves." He sighed. "Still, it worries me how there are still those who steal for their own amusement."
Wes chuckled. "Well, don't you worry, brother of mine! I, Wes Ravenfield, will make sure that never happens! I've dealt with my fair share of thieves in the past and I've learned all the ins and outs of their tricks! It'll have to take a real crafty pickpocket to pull a fast one on my eyes!" He widened his eyes, scanning the terrain. "I have the eyes of a hunter! Nothing shall escape my sight!"
His older brother shook his head. "Well, you do have the most street smarts out of all of us, that's for sure."
"Exactly. I assure you, we'll be fine." He pulled the Key of Earth out of his bag and examined it. "Just think, nine more of these babies to find. We'll be swimming in riches when we find the Idol of Origin." A happy tingle traveled up his body. "Ooh, just thinking about all that gold is making me shiver!"
Ella snickered at his behavior. "Classic Wes, always thinking about the treasure rather than the mission."
He stuck her tongue out. "Haha, Miss Sassy Pants." As he lightly retorted to her taunting, he reached into his bag and pulled out the knapsack he used to carry the key. He was too caught up in his response that he didn't notice the knapsack felt slightly heavier as he dropped the key in and stuffed it back into his bag. "Don't think I've forgotten the idol's immense power. I know what's at stake here. I, however, am a treasure hunter. That means artifacts AND treasure are on my mind!"
She shrugged with an 'innocent' smile. "I was just testing you."
He chuckled before looking at Gwyn. "Anyway, like Flint said, the Fire Zone is pretty poor. The village we're going to is probably one of the poorest. Don't expect a five star hotel when we get a place to stay."
"Noted."
"Alright, let's pick up the pace so we can get some lunch!" He marched ahead.
"Now you're speaking my language!" Gwyn cheered. They followed him down the path. The green Mew looked at Flint with a playful smile. "So…can you carry me on your back?"
He smirked and paced ahead. "Nope." She sighed before laughing.
As Wes promised, the village was pretty close, about a fifteen minute distance from them. They could see houses over the horizon. The ashy terrain up ahead had become less and less as they moved closer. The locals must want to keep this place as clean as possible for themselves, to make it somewhat sustainable.
As they got closer, the village buildings and huts became more detailed and noticeable. The huts themselves were made up of wood for the walls and had a cloth roof hanging overhead. Judging by the structure of them, they made the guess that most, if not all, of these huts were one story tall. There were no windows on any of them, likely to keep potential ash storms from blowing into their homes.
The other buildings, however, were very distinguishable. Some raised as high as three stories while others stuck to staying at ground level. One building red 'Pharmacy', where the locals would get any medicines they might require. There were a few pubs scattered around. One section of the village was dedicated as the market area, where locals could by food. Some buildings they didn't know the purpose of laid here and there. And, according to the map of Fuego Village, only one motel.
What really stood out from the village's rundown appearance was the locals. A lot of them were seen wearing regular clothes that have aged with time, evident by the holes, while others wore rags, likely their only source of clothing. Some seemed to be in decent shape, while other looked weary and tired.
There were some kids playing around, chasing each other with sticks or just wrestling around on the ground. Yet, there were also some kids carrying out chores, such as sweeping their yards of litter or buying food from the market area.
Gwyn flinched at the sight in front of her. As someone who has never seen poverty of this size, it hit her pretty hard. "Oh my…I…I can't believe this…"
Flint reached over and rubbed her shoulder sympathetically. "Sorry you have to see this…"
Ella sighed. "It is pretty sad, but there isn't much we can do." She gave her a smile. "Think of it like this, though. It could be worse." She gestured around the village. "They may not have much, but they have homes, food, clothes; everything they need to survive." This did make her smile a bit.
Wes looked around. He didn't see anyone particularly shady looking at them They got a few glances from some folks passing by, but no one who looked like they were planning on robbing them. Just a few curious glances before everyone went on with their day. Guess it's not abnormal to see travelers passing through their village.
He nodded and looked at Flint. "See? I told you not everyone here is scummy."
He smirked at his little brother. "I didn't say that. I'm cautious, not a jerk."
The Umbreon snickered. "Just making sure. Now come on, let's rent a room and we can restock on food." They marched ahead.
They walked through the streets, passing by some of the residents. As to be expected, Gwyn got some surprised stares as they passed through. She blushed meekly and lowered her head, trying to keep as little of her from being seen as possible. She stuck close to Flint, who smiled reassuringly at her.
They stopped as a ball bounced over to them. Wes looked ahead to see some little kids, consisting of a Teddiursa, Whismur, and Panpour, running over.
"Hey mister!" the Teddiursa shouted. "Can you pass our ball back?"
The Umbreon smiled, feeling a bit of his childish side taking control. "Sure thing, kiddo!" He lifted the ball with his paw and threw it in the air, then started bouncing it on his head. Then, he did a front flip and kicked the ball back over to them.
The Panpour leaped up with a grin and caught it. "Thank you!" They waved to them before going back to their game of soccer.
Wes sighed nostalgically. "I remember being so innocent when I was their age. I can still remember the first time I played soccer."
Flint instinctively rubbed his forehead with a deadpanned expression. "I remember that, too…"
Wes blinked, then grinned sheepishly. "Okay, I may have been a little too energetic when I first played, but at least you were alright. You just had a little bruise on your forehead."
"Little isn't the way I would describe it," he muttered, lowering his paw. Wes snickered lightly.
"I said I was sorry."
"Yeah…you did."
Ella clapped her paws, gaining her attention. "Yeah, yeah, enough memory trips! Let's rent a room and finally get some rest!"
Wes raised his paw up high. "Yes, ma'am! Onward!" He marched ahead, head held high with his friends following.
Gwyn still kept her head low as she glanced at the village folk. She nudged Flint. "You know…I kind of feel like doing some exploring later. This is my first time in the Fire Zone, so I want to learn a bit from the locals."
The Flareon smiled at her. "I thought you were raring to take a nap?"
She pouted, sticking her tongue at him. "After I take a nap, doofus."
He chuckled. "Hey, I get it, don't worry. I did promise I'd show you every aspect of the region. Perhaps we can do some exploring tomorrow while Wes and Ella are at the market."
She beamed at him cheerfully, squishing her cheeks together. "Yay~!"
Up ahead, Wes was examining the map, taking a look at every other location for the other eight keys. They already know where to locate the red key, but the location of the other eight caught him off guard. They were completely spread out across the region. Different zones, different climates to push through, different cities and towns; getting their paws on all of them was going to be tricky.
A lot of places to explore…being away from home for who knows how long…could be years. Maybe an exaggeration, since it wouldn't take THAT long to journey through all of Mysto. A year, at least.
Ella leaned over, staring at the map. "Something has your mind preoccupied."
He looked up from the map. "Kind of. Have you seen how far some of these are? Look how long it took us to find the Key of Earth, the key in our home zone. We know the terrain there, but these areas…" He held his head. "We're gonna need to prepare for a lot. Snow equipment, desert gear, diving supplies; the list goes on!"
"Does that worry you?" she asked with a raised brow.
"Oh, heck no. I'm positively thrilled!" He sighed. "Though, to be frank, we are going to be away from home for a long time."
She cocked a brow. "Why is that an issue? You have that Warp Tunnel travel-spell-thing-a-ma-roo of yours."
He chuckled. "Well, yeah, but I haven't fully mastered it. I can only drag two people through, counting myself." He pouted. "That, and it takes a bunch of magic to use. I wouldn't be able to make trips back and forth without getting lightheaded." He smiled. "But hey, that'd just make our return even more enjoyable."
She smiled. "I guess you're right." She nudged him playfully. "So, you miss your mom, I take it?"
"Heh, how can I not?" He closed his eyes with a blissful smile. "Mom's homemade food would always warm up my tummy when I came back from a long trek. Her loving embrace whenever she I visit her. Her sweet, caring words of encouragement…"
Ella smirked. "Mama's boy," she teased.
He blushed, glaring angrily at her. "I am not a Mama's boy! My mother is a sweet, fantastic woman! There's no shame in admitting that!"
"Chill, mate, I'm just teasing. I get what you mean." She smiled. "I like your mother, after all. Why do you think I come over to your house almost every day when we were kids?"
He smirked and held his head up proudly. "Well, my mother is the best mother in the entire Mysto region! The whole world, even!"
Ella glanced to the side with a deadpan glare. "No argument there…"
Wes blinked. "Did you say something, Ella?"
She smiled up at him. "Oh, nothing at all."
The Umbreon raised a brow at the Espeon. She was the type of Pokémon to keep a calm, cool guise when she was around them. Normally, he could see no falter in her laidback attitude. However, every so often, he could see a bit of…annoyance in her eyes. Perhaps bitterness, too.
He shook his head. He shouldn't meddle with her emotions. The last thing he wanted was to be whacked in the back of the head. He was lucky to not get severe head injuries from his fight with Randolph. He rather not deal with Ella.
He continued looking ahead at his map when it suddenly smacked into his face. The wind wasn't particularly blustery today, so that wasn't the reason why. Meaning…he must have walked into someone.
He backed up and rolled the map up. "Oh, excuse me, I didn't see you…" He looked up as he saw two hulky Pokemon looming over him. A Dusclops and a Pinsir. Both were wearing typical biker outfits. Really…really clean and almost brand new biker outfits. "…there?" Not wanting to seem rude, he smiled cheerfully and gave his usual happy greeting. "Hi there! Nice to meet you!"
The Pinsir glared down at the Umbreon intimidatingly, an action he seemingly didn't register. Hands behind his back, he walked around the treasure hunter, inspecting him. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? Fresh meat, it seems."
It was at this point that Flint and Gwyn were drawn out of their conversation, how focusing their attention on this sudden altercation taking place. Gwyn tilted her head. "Who are they?"
Flint sweated bullets as he stared at the two thugs. Why can't we just have a normal day and not run into guys like this?!
Dusclops rubbed his fingers together. Upon closer inspection, he was rubbing two bits together like some greedy punk of the street. "You might be right. Never seen these folks around here. Must be passing through."
Wes saluted, sticking his tongue out. "That'd be correct. My team and I are actually staying here for a few days. We were just on our way to the motel when we bumped into you gentlemen."
"Is that right?" Pinsir asked, clicking his pincer claws together. "Tell me, is this your first time in Fuego Village?"
"Yes sir, it is. I normally take detours around the Fire Zone. Never had a chance to visit much." He whistled. "And, might I say, this is a lovely village. Love the craftsmanship on these huts. Very rustic and cozy."
"Ah, so you regularly do traveling around the region?" Dusclops asked.
"That'd be correct. I'm Wes Ravenfield, a treasure hunter seeking to find the vastest of riches across this great region of ours!"
He felt a tug on his collar and looked to his nervously sweating brother. He whispered, "Wes, I don't think you should be talking to these guys. Much less telling them who you are."
He waved it off with a sly smile. "Chill, bro. We have nothing to worry about. I can easily handle these guys if they try anything sketchy."
"You know I don't like it when you take matters into your own paws!" Flint whispered harshly.
Wes ignored him and turned towards the thugs. "So gentlemen, how can we help you on this glorious day?"
Pinsir chuckled quietly to himself. "Well, you see, we're sort of the…authorities around these parts. Since the Fire Zone doesn't have proper law enforcement, we make it our sacred duty to protect the Pokémon of these parts, resident or traveler."
The Umbreon smiled. "What a noble act! You must be doing a great job!"
"Indeed we do. Anyone who steps up to our organization won't stand a chance against our numbers. We protect these people of our own accord."
"Well, I hope you keep up the great work!" He motioned the others to follow. "Come along, gang! Let's let these men continue with their work!" He attempted to walk around them, but Dusclops blocked his way. This made the treasure hunter frown. "Uh, excuse me, sir. You're sort of…in my way."
"Oh, I know." He bent down, his eye glowing sinister for a brief moment. "However, since you're new around here, I'm guessing you aren't aware of our policy."
"Policy?" Gwyn parroted, scratching her head in confusion.
Ella narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What policy?"
Pinsir chuckled, waving his hand around nonchalantly. "Oh, nothing big. You see, our services aren't free…" He folded his arms behind his back and leaned forward, staring her right in the eye. "…and certainly not cheap," he finished sharply.
Flint's jaw dropped, then it closed up as his face twisted in rage. "Wait…you're asking us to…PAY YOU?! Just to stay here?!"
"Our services affect everyone who come here, whether they be passing through, staying temporarily, or living here," Dusclops explained, examining his fingers with arrogance dripping from his tone. "You don't expect us to protect these people from criminals and bandits without pay."
Gwyn gasped, hands going up to her mouth. "B-B-But, that's horrible! These people don't even have much! A-A-And you're just…taking their money?! Without remorse?!"
Pinsir shrugged. "Hey, it's just business, kid. Get used to it."
The green Mew's cheeks glowed red as they puffed out. Steam practically shot from her ears with how boiled she was becoming. "How…how cruel and heartless are you people?!"
The Beckon Pokémon laughed inwardly. "That's just life. We don't make the rules, we just enforce them."
"You…you…" She clenched her teeth and jumped high into the air, flailing her arms like an Elekid. "I'M GONNA RIP YOU JERKS TO SHREDS!"
Flint wrapped his forelegs around her arms and held her in place. She snarled as she tried to fight her way out of his grasp, biting at the air ravenously. Surprisingly, she wasn't that hard to hold down. Then again, she wasn't known for her strength. Flint sighed with a sweatdrop as he watched her flail in his grasp.
Pinsir sighed, shaking his head. "Honestly, why must everyone be so hostile? Do they not want us to ensure their safety?"
Ella stepped forward. "Safety from who? Bandits? Or your little organization?"
Dusclops narrowed his eye. "You implying something, girly?"
She smirked. "I've seen this type of routine before. We pay up so the bad guys don't hurt us, when, in actuality, our tax collectors happen to be the bad guys."
Pinsir chuckled. "Well, aren't you a smart cookie?" He narrowed his eyes darkly. "What's your point?" She blinked, taking a step back.
"Oh, sure, a lot of folks around here know how our policy works," the ghost admitted. "Doesn't change anything." He pocketed his two bits. "Around here, if you're not with us, then it's either pay for or with your life." He laughed deeply. "We don't take defiance lightly."
Wes glared. "Funny…I don't take getting threatened lightly. If you think you can muscle us down for some pocket change, then you have another thing coming."
The stag beetle stepped forward, getting up in the Umbreon's face. "Are you asking for a fight, punk?"
He stuck his tongue out cheekily. "Nope! It'd be too easy to kick your butt!"
He narrowed his eyes. "Hilarious…" He stepped back, reaching behind his waist. "Do you know what we do to defiant Pokémon like you?"
Flint got between them, sticking his paws out. "Okay, whoa! Time out!" He looked at his brother. "Wes, I don't think now is the time to be getting into fights. Let's just pay the guy and go on with our day."
"I'm not paying a single bit to this dullard! What's he going to do? Point a gun at me?"
Their ears perked up upon hearing a timely click. Their attention was drawn to the blunderbuss rifle aimed directly at them. Flint jumped behind Wes, his legs shivering nervously.
"Still think you can talk down at us?" Pinsir asked, pointing the barrel at the Umbreon's head.
He blinked, then gently pushed the weapon down with a calm smile. "Alright, I see we're getting off on the wrong foot here. Maybe we can reach a compromise?" The barrel was then shoved right into his face, knocking him back.
"It's either you pay or get an early funeral," he warned, claw hanging over the trigger.
Wes rubbed his face and glared in annoyance. "Alright…I was trying to be polite here, but I guess you want to settle this the hard way…" He reached under his shirt, wrapping his digits around the Star Amulet. His friends stepped up to his side, preparing to fight back, too.
The stag beetle snarled. "You asked for this." He pulled back on the trigger.
They expected the weapon to fire right at them, to which Flint almost instinctively placed up a protective barrier to guard his brother from harm. However, a streak of blue light speeding through the air came down from above and pierced through the blunderbuss.
It pierced right through the middle of the weapon, leaving a burning hole through the center, snapping it in two. Pinsir dropped it in surprise, letting it hit the ground with a metallic thud. The rifle's barrel crackled with blue electricity for a moment before discharging into the ground.
The two sides blinked at the gun in confusion before looking in the direction of the beam. Standing right at the center of a hut's roof was a Dewott, balancing perfectly on the fine point that supported the cloth roof. He wore a deep blue vest with a white hem running down the sides, center, and shoulders, buttoned together with gold colored buttons. He wore white, baggy pant with his signature scalchops hanging from the waist.
The tip of his index finger smoked from his attack. He lifted it up to his lips and blew it out. Tucking his hands in his pockets, he leaped into the air, flipping a couple of times before landing gracefully between the two groups.
He stood up and glanced at Team Ravenfield, who stared in awe at his sudden arrival. He then turned to face the two thugs, a sly grin stretching across his face.
"Hey gents, what's shakin'?" he asked coolly. "Did you miss me?"
They weren't sure who this guy was, but he seemed to be making the thugs anxious. Dusclops stepped back with his fists clenching in anger. "Oh great, you again…"
"Stay out of this, street rat. You're interfering with business," Pinsir warned, not that it would do much to shoo him away.
The Dewott smirked calmly. He took his hands out of his pockets and folded them over his chest. "Really? What's on today's agenda now? Shake these guys by their ankles until bits fall out? Or are you going to drag them to some far off location and 'teach them a lesson'?"
Pinsir pressed his finger against his chest. "Listen street rat, the last thing we need right now is you botching up another one of our deals. So why don't you go home and forget this ever happened?"
He glanced back at the four treasure hunters before shaking his head. "Yeeeah-no. Frankly, I'm not in the mood to watch you get your asses handed to you by these two tough guys and their lady friends." He waved his hand patronizingly, gesturing them to shoo. "So, it's either walk away…or you could always let me handle their charge."
Wes blinked. "Uh, sir, you don't have to pay for us." He then muttered under his breath, "Not that I was going to hand over perfectly good money in the first place…"
Dewott chuckled. "Sir? I'm pretty sure I'm around the same age as you guys." He waved their concern off. "Besides, they know I can pay it off." He glared up at the two thugs with a toothy grin. "Isn't that right?"
Pinsir clenched his fists angrily. "You little…" The touch of his partner's hand on his shoulder stopped him from taking drastic measures.
"Forget it. I'm not in the mood to deal with this rat."
The stag beetle growled, feeling the stinging pain of defeat crush on his pride. They didn't back down from a challenge, especially not against a lowly urchin. Still, history speaks for itself, and he rather not repeat his failures going up against him.
Groaning in defeat, he stepped back. "Fine…we'll spare them, Sapienti." He glared at the calm Dewott dangerously, a glare that would burn right through the weakest of wills. "But we will be back…and you will change your mind sooner or later."
Team Ravenfield glanced at each other in confusion, collectively thinking the same thing. Change his mind?
The Dewott chuckled nonchalantly and waved them off. "Yes, yes, 'we will return', 'our numbers grow every day', and so on and so forth."
The thugs glared at him before walking away, their heads low in shame. They continually glanced back at the treasure hunters, then at the Dewott, muttering their anger to one another.
The group's savior turned away from the fleeing thugs, dusting his hands off in triumph. "Well, that takes care of them."
Wes chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, you really saved us the trouble of fighting them."
He shrugged. "Eh, forget about it. I figured you guys could take them mano a mano. Beats cleaning blood off the road, though."
Ella snickered. "I wouldn't mind kicking their teeth out a few times."
"I wouldn't recommend it. They may look like pushovers, but they're persistent. I'd do my best to avoid them at every turn." He folded his arms behind his head with an inviting smile stretching across his face. "Anyway, nice to meet you folks. Not too common that we get travelers passing through."
"Yes, well," Flint started, "we've been traveling for quite some time and we're only stopping here to take a break." He smirked at Gwyn. "Our friend here wouldn't stop whining for most of the walk this morning."
She slumped over, the comedic tears streaming down her face once more. "But I was SSSOOO tired!" The Flareon laughed in response.
The Dewott's smile stretched a bit, finally taking notice of Gwyn's form. "How interesting…are you a Mew?"
She twirled her finger around her hair meekly, curling it around her hand. "Hehe…yeah, I am."
"Well, aren't you a rarity? Never thought I'd get to meet one of your kind in person." He swiped at the air casually. "Cross that off of my nonexistent bucket list." He placed his hands behind his back. "Well, if you all want, I could show you around. I've lived here my whole life, so I know all the ins and outs of this place."
Wes beamed brightly. "That'd be great, thanks!"
Flint, however, was less than accepting. "Err…I'm not sure. No offense, but…I'm not use to being in the Fire Zone and…"
The otter raised his hand, silencing him. "I get it, don't worry." He pointed over his shoulder. "The two terrors aren't exactly the best representation of this village. Everyone here is rather peaceful. They don't resort to cunning tricks to rob anyone. We're all friendly folk here."
Ella raised a brow. "Those guys clearly didn't take your surprise interruption very well."
He waved it off. "Oh, we go way back. Ever since they first came here, they've been shaking down just about everybody. They even stole from me a couple of times." He pointed at himself with a boastful smile. "Though, they clearly underestimated who they were dealing with. I paid those brutes back for everything they own. After all, just like everyone else, every bit counts for me. I'm not living in the high life like those crooked criminals."
"Sorry to hear that," Gwyn said.
He laughed her concern off. "Hey, don't fret over it. I live fine with the money I make. It's not easy, but I push through." He pocketed his hands. "Now come on, I want to show you around."
He turned on his heel to lead them, then blinked questionably for a moment, confusing the group. He suddenly slapped his hand against his forehead.
"Oh darn! Where are my manners?" He turned back to them with a sheepish smile. "I never introduced myself." He extended his hand out. "I'm Tony. Tony Sapienti."
Wes smiled, shaking his hand enthusiastically. "I'm Wes Ravenfield."
Flint tipped his hat politely. "Flint Ravenfield, his older brother."
Ella tilted her head with a casual smile. "Ella Cipher."
Gwyn beamed brightly, hands behind her back. "And I'm Gwyn Belladonna!"
"Nice to meet you folks." He turned around and gestured them to follow, to which they gladly obliged.
They walked through the partially crowded streets, passing by the locals as they went on with their daily activities. They passed some huts where the parents were doing laundry in a wash bucket while their children ran around with a ball. Others were resting in their yard, probably taking a rest from a long day of work.
Wes whistled. "Everyone here is so lively."
"And busy," Ella added.
Tony chuckled. "Yes, well, everyone here has to contribute to keep this place neat. It'd be pretty easy to have the entire street littered with trash. We do our best to keep this village shipshape." He sighed. "Can't say much for everyone, though."
"How so?" Gwyn asked.
"Well, with the lack of resources and medical care, a lot of people here get sick, to the point of being physically incapable of moving." He grimaced. "Our population isn't particularly big. It either increases a little bit…or drastically declines with the number of deaths we get from illness."
Flint's eyes widened. "Oh my…"
He sighed. "It's a sad life. We only have one doctor in this whole village. He can't do much to help everybody. All he can do is provide medicine and hope for the best."
"How does anyone make money in this village, then?" Wes asked.
"The usual ways, really. The marketers and our local doctor make the most bits. A lot of folks here make money from doing odd jobs for them. Or they pay them in food for their hard work." He folded his arms. "We make quite a bit from travelers who need to restock on supplies." He chuckled. "Guess we're all appreciative you all stopped through here."
Flint frowned. "What about those thugs from earlier?"
He looked away with a glare. "They're definitely an issue in this village. If it wasn't for me interfering with half their muggings, a lot of people here would be flat broke. They wouldn't be able to buy food and certainly would've died from starvation or lack of medicine. At some point, they just decided to book it if I'm around thwarting their plans."
The Mew tilted her head. "Hasn't anyone considered revolting against them?"
"Not as easy as you think. They have weaponry on hand. Plus, we don't have little to no strong fighters here. They wouldn't last a second against the kind of firepower they have under their belt." Tony pinched between his eyes. "Those guys give me a real migraine sometimes."
Wes smirked. "Well, maybe we can assist." He reared his hind legs back and kicked the air, startling Flint backwards. "Just lead us to their direction and we'll give them a good walloping!"
Tony laughed, clapping at his optimism. "Oh, that would be most helpful. But I have a pretty good hold on them. If they try anything, I'll just light 'em up myself."
Ella narrowed her eyes. "That does remind me. When you intervened, you fired something from your finger. An electrical beam, I think."
Suddenly, the Umbreon treasure hunter gasped in realization. "Wait a second! Flint! Gwyn! Check out his aura!"
The two other magic users' eyes glowed their respective auras as they peered into the Dewott's life energy. His aura was mystical blue energy. Their eyes widened. "Wait…you're a magic user?"
He chuckled lightly, then took a bow. "Guilty as charged. Yes, I am."
"Wow, that is so cool!" Wes squealed. "What kind of magic do you use? Water magic? Ice Magic?"
He shook his head, then held up his hand. The tips of his fingers crackled with electricity, matching the color of his aura. "Storm magic."
"A Water-Type that uses Storm based magic?" Flint questioned in awe. "Not often you see those two mixed."
Tony chuckled. "It's a little something I picked up from my father…" His eyes narrowed for a brief moment before smiling. "But yeah, I've been practicing in magic for years. Self-taught myself everything."
"Double cool!" the Umbreon squealed again. He then proudly stated, "I actually self-taught myself quite a bit! Learned a bit from my father, but I've been improving my skills for the last few years!"
"Sweet. You must be really good," he complimented.
The treasure hunter smirked and got into a battle position. "How about a battle right now?!"
Ella reached out and pinched hard on his ear, making him wince in pain. She pulled him back with a smirk. "Wes, you're not battling in a populated area like this. The last battle you got in devastated half a cave."
He blinked at her, then chuckled uneasily. "Oookay, maybe you're right."
Tony chuckled. "Perhaps another time, Wes. It has been a long day for both of us." He smirked. "I wouldn't want to fight you while you're only at half strength."
"That a challenge?!" he shouted, waving his balled up paw.
Gwyn shrunk as the loud mouthed Umbreon was drawing the attention of everyone on the street. "Uh, Wes? Perhaps you should keep your voice down a small bit…"
He, again, gave a sheepish look, rubbing the back of his head. "Heh, sorry."
Tony continued leading them down the street. "Anyway, as I was saying, life here can get pretty rough. The Fire Zone isn't a safe place, believe me. You would have to experience an ash storm first hand to see the kind of condition we deal with." He shook his head in disgust. "Took me days to clean the inside of my hut after the last one we had."
"Hopefully things get better for you," Gwyn wished kindly.
He rubbed the back of his head. "Awfully kind of you. Either way, no reason complaining about it."
He led the group through the market area, where a wide variety of food was on display. They have delicious meats, a fresh assortment of fruits and vegetables in a couple stands, some dairy based products; just about anything you need to make a good meal. Though, the prices caught the group off guard.
"Yikes…fifteen bits for milk," Ella commented with an astonished expression. "Seems pretty pricy…"
The Dewott sighed, running his hand through his hair. "The markets here get deliveries for food, but they have to raise the prices to keep getting more. That's why everyone here makes a big deal about having a job. It's either work for your food or starve on the streets."
Wes looked at the meats, a bit discouraged by the massive prices. "I can already feel a hole burning through my money bag…"
Gwyn patted his back with an awkward grin. "Hey, I could always grow our food. Wouldn't be hard for someone like me."
Flint looked at Tony. "So, if almost everyone has a job here, what do you do?"
He rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, just some deliveries. I make quite the killing on payday." He snickered to himself. "After that, I'm swimming in food for weeks."
He smiled. "Well, at least you have yourself handled." He looked down the market, watching locals exchange bits for food. "I doubt everyone has a handle on this life."
The Dewott patted his back. "Eh, like I said, we look out for each other here. We do what we can to help each other."
Ella walked around the market stands, mentally taking note of the prices and making a checklist for what they should stock up on for tomorrow. She also checked to see which stand had the better prices. Not all of them were outrageously high, thankfully.
She smiled and nodded to herself before walking up to her group. "Alright, I have shopping day planned out for tomorrow."
Wes rubbed his head. "We should probably stock up on medicine, just to be safe."
His Mew friend blew a raspberry and laughed. "Oh please! I can make a potion that can handle any sort of ailment you all have! Not a problem!"
Ella crossed her forelegs, smirking. "Okay, Ms. Potion Expert. What happens when you're the one who needs an elixir to cure your ailment?"
She blinked, staying silent for a moment, before glaring. "Okay, so maybe we need medicine…"
Tony smirked. "Well, luckily for you, our doctor sells plenty of elixirs and medicines to cure most illnesses, or at least help fight against it."
Ella sighed, scratching her head. "We're gonna have a busy day tomorrow." She crouched down, stretching her limbs out and flexing her sore digits. "We're gonna have to check in soon."
"I'll show you all to the motel," Tony offered.
"That'd be great, thank you," Flint thanked, bowing his head.
Tony led them through the crowds again, taking them to the motel they'll be staying at. As they wandered, the group of kids that the gang passed by earlier chased after their ball, rolling to the Dewott. He smiled and stopped it with his foot, then kicked it up into his hands.
They ran over with big grins on their faces. "Hi Mr. Tony!"
"Hey squirts." He handed the Whismur their ball. "Keep better track of this. You all don't want to hurt someone, do you?"
They shook their heads. "Nope!"
He ruffled their heads. "Good kids."
Teddiursa snagged the ball from Whismur and bounced it on his head. "Can you play with us, Mr. Tony?"
He chuckled. "I loved to, but I'm…sort of busy at the moment." He pointed over his shoulder, at the treasure hunters.
The kids' mouths opened in realization. "Ooohhh…"
Wes smiled and waved at them. "Hey kids."
"Hi mister!" they shouted cheerfully. They then started snickering to themselves, something the Umbreon found amusing.
"What's got your funny bones tickling?"
They smiled innocently. "Nothing!"
Tony shook his head and lightly pushed them out of the way. "Alright squirts, I have business to attend to later."
"Okay, Mr. Tony!" They waved at the treasure hunters before skipping off, kicking their ball back and forth between each other.
Ella approached the Dewott with a smirk. "Well, you're certainly popular with the kids."
He scratched the back of his head. "Am I? I haven't noticed." He laughed lightly. "A lot of these kids don't have older siblings, so a lot of them see me as a…big brother, essentially. No harm in fulfilling that role for them. It's pretty fun."
"Aww, how sweet."
Flint tilted his head. "You told them you were busy. Are we hindering your schedule or something?"
He waved it off. "Oh, nothing like that. I just have errands to run. Shouldn't take me too long." He smirked. "Besides, helping out a few folks is a reward for me."
Wes smiled. "You've got to be one of the friendliest greetings I've gotten out of every town I've been to."
Tony placed his hand to his chest, gasping in mock appreciation. "I'm flattered, thank you."
They stopped at the local motel. The wooden exterior was worn down from the winds, obviously in need of repairs soon. The window shutters were torn off their hinges, with only one hanging loosely by the top hinge. It wasn't the nicest looking building, but it did have a friendly feel to it.
The front had a small porch, which included two rocking chairs, a comfy bench, a welcome mat at the door, a small round table with two chairs, and a few other neat accessories. A bell hung over the door, waiting to make that magical ring once the wooden entrance swings open.
"Bit of warning before you go in. Not many people stay here, so the owner gets a little cheerful meeting new faces." He hooked his arm around Wes. "Word of advice, if he asks if you want homemade food, I'd take. It's extra charge, but well worth it."
Ella smirked. "Is this just your way of helping him out?"
"Perhaps~!" he sounded with a sly grin.
Gwyn groaned, holding her stomach. She leaned against Flint. "Who cares~? If his food is good, I'm paying for three dinners."
The Dewott smirked. "He's going to like you, that's for sure." He stepped away from the group and bowed. "Well, it was nice meeting you folks. Hope you have a wonderful stay here in our village."
Flint smiled. "Thank you. Perhaps we can meet up before we leave."
He declined the offer with a wave of his hand. "I'd love to, but I'll be busy running back and forth around the village for the whole week. Errands to run, thugs to scare off; that sort of stuff."
Wes tipped his hat with a grin. "Too bad. Well, you have a good day, my friend."
He nodded back, then bowed to the other three. "Take care, everyone." They nodded to him as he walked away, vanishing into the crowd.
"Well, he was nice," Gwyn commented.
The Flareon she was still leaning against chuckled. "Agreed." He rubbed his paws together. "Now then, let's get checked in and rest."
"WOO!" The Mew rushed in before they took a step forward. They laughed and followed her in.
Tony watched them go into the motel from around the corner of a building. He had his arms crossed, leaning against the wall with a smile. "Nice people." He slid his hands into his pockets and walked into the street with a smirk stretching across his face. A very devious smirk. "Gullible, too."
The Dewott was one of patience and cunning in nature. It wasn't hard to put on a kind face and make some traveling group think he's a generous, good willed villager with honest morals. No, it was a little more than that. All he needed to do was remove any sneaky characteristics from his body language and facial expressions and you have yourself a deceiving Pokémon.
He pulled out a sack of coins from his pocket, bouncing them up and down in his hand. However, this bag didn't belong to him. It belonged to the Umbreon he got chummy with. He could tell from his curious ruby eyes that he was extremely observant with his surroundings, otherwise he could have easily pilfered all of their money without much risk of detection. He was lucky to snag one. If he spent hours hanging around them, it would have been a tad suspicious.
Still, just from hearing the jingling of money bouncing in the bag, he could tell there was quite a lot of bits inside. He chuckled, pocketing the money away.
"Ooh, we're gonna eat well tonight," he mumbled to himself. He tapped his chin. "I wonder if I should make stew for dinner." He reached into his other pocket, pulling out a notepad. "Still need to pick up her medicine before I get home." He smirked, looking back the way he came. "Better make a quick trip to the market before they realize what I've done."
He stuffed the notepad away and dashed off, purposely taking a longer route for safety reasons.
The inside of the motel was equally nice. The outside may have been weathered down from wind and debris, but the interior was much more appealing to the eye. The middle of the main room had a nice red rug that felt smooth to the touch. Nicer looking couches and armchairs were spread out on both sides of the room, each with a coffee table in front of them and a lamp by their side.
Gwyn threw herself onto the couch. "Yay, a bed…" She flipped to her back and closed her eyes. With the first few seconds of doing so, she began snoring lightly.
Flint shook his head with a smirk as he rested his bag on the ground and sat in the armchair. He reached into his bag and pulled a book out. Ella set her bag down next to his and approached some neat paintings on the wall.
Wes was up at the front desk, greeted by the manager, a Garbodor wearing a blue polo shirt. The smile on his face told him he was happy to get some visitors. "Hello, and welcome to the Fuego Village Motel! How may I help you?"
"Nice to meet you, sir. My friends and I will be renting a room for a few days. Four of us, to be exact."
"Ah, excellent. I'll make sure to give you a room to satisfy your stay." He handed him a clipboard. "You'll need to sign in. And there is a fee you need to pay upfront for services."
The Umbreon nodded. "Can do, sir!" He grabbed the clipboard with his teeth, along with a pen from the cup on the desk, and carried it over to the unoccupied armchair. He sat down and began writing out the information.
His Espeon friend jumped onto the back of the chair and looked down at him. "You almost done?"
"In uh minute," he muttered, having to write and talk with the pen in his mouth. He finished filling out his name at the bottom before spitting the pen out. "Now I am." He reached into his bag and felt around for his sack of money.
He spent thirty seconds digging around in the cosmic void before forming a confused expression. He pulled his bag off and opened it fully, dipping his head inside. He reached around for his money bag, but it seemed to have disappeared.
He pulled his head out with a slightly worried expression. "Uh…oh…"
Flint looked over at him with narrowed eyes. He set his book to the side. "Uh oh? Wes, what did you do?"
He gulped, chuckling nervously as he rubbed the top of his head. "Whaaaat~! What makes you think I did something…" He sighed, then said in a clear, emotionless tone, "I lost my money."
"YOU DID WHAT?!" the Flareon shouted, waking Gwyn from her deep slumber. She fell to the floor with a yelp.
"I-I-I don't know! It was in here when I last saw it! I had it with me this morning!"
"We must have been robbed!"
"We couldn't have! No one other than you guys got close enough to me to steal it!"
He narrowed his eyes angrily. "I bet I know who did…"
Gwyn sat up off the ground, rubbing her head. "You think Tony robbed us?"
"Who else could it be?!" he yelled. He rubbed his face in irritation, greatly furious for not seeing such an obvious ruse. "I can't believe this! No wonder he was acting so nice! He was just trying to get some extra cash off us!"
Ella sighed. "Way to go, Wes…"
He flailed his forelegs in annoyance. "How is this my fault?"
"I'm sorry, what did you say, Master Observer?" she asked with narrowed eyes and a condescending frown.
He tried to retort, but he couldn't find the words to say. Here he was, trying to defend his boasting about his skills as an expert on thievery and pointing it out when he had just got robbed.
He deadpanned before slapping his face. "…just…everyone check their bags."
They obliged and reached through their belongings to see if any other items were taken. They searched around meticulously, leaving no stone unturned. Hanging around that apparently crafty Dewott could have left them broke.
Fortunately, it appears they still had all their stuff. Apparently their thief only had time to rob one of them. At least they still had most of their money.
Flint groaned, leaning back in his seat. "I can't believe this…"
Ella cracked her paw with a smirk. "Next time I see that little twerp, he's going to be sorry he ever met me."
The Mew beside her chuckled nervously. "N-Now, now, let's think positively. He only stole Wes' money. We can still buy food and stuff."
Flint sighed, before smiling. "Yeah, she's right. At least we know to avoid him next time." He looked at Wes. "Everything's cool, bro. No harm, no foul." His face lowered into a confused, worried expression. "Uh, Wes?"
His little brother was staring inside his bag with a look of horror, as if he just witnessed the most brutal act of murder he ever laid eyes on. His eyes were dilated in absolute terror and panic. The right one twitched rapidly. His jaw was stretched down, showing off his sharp teeth.
"I…no…this can't be…"
Flint jumped up from his seat and ran over to him. "Wes, what's wrong?!"
Wordlessly, he threw a knapsack at Flint. Curiously, he opened it up and peeked inside. Nothing but air and lint.
He looked up in question. "Wes, this is just an empty knapsack."
He shook his head slowly. "No…much, much worse. There was something in there." Flint shrieked as his brother grabbed him by the shirt and pressed his forehead against him. "Flint, that's the bag I was using to hold the Key of Earth!"
Gears turned in the Flareon's head, igniting his panic by ten. "The…The Key of Earth?!"
Ella and Gwyn jumped back in shock. "He stole the key from us?!" the Espeon yelled.
Wes let go of Flint and shook his head. "He couldn't have. There's no way I could have missed that. I remember tying the bag up when I dropped the key in. There is no way I could have missed him untying it."
Gwyn scratched her head. "Why go through the trouble of untying the bag, though? I mean, he took your entire money bag. It'd make more sense to steal the whole thing."
The Umbreon's eyes suddenly widened in thought. Thinking back to earlier, he remembered putting the key away. However, taking the time to consider it, he realized there was something off about the weight of it.
"Oh no…" He grabbed his cheeks in horror. "I put it in the money bag by mistake!"
His friends' faces matched his own. The key to an all-powerful relic was now in the hands of a greedy thief. If he were to find out what it was…there's no telling what could happen.