Chapter 24 - Fine Dining

"So…" Sparks said, drawing out his words, "This is the place, huh…?"

"Yeah," Ziggy happily replied.

"And this is the special thing you wanted to do?"

"Mhm!"

Sparks stood on one side of a street in Radiant City, alongside Kona, Danika and Ziggy. The group were nearing the tail end of Ziggy's celebratory day for becoming an official member of the Rescue Society. When asked if there was something special he wanted to do for the day, Ziggy had led them here.

Across the street and a few buildings down from the group was a restaurant. A sign above the establishment's entrance showed off its name in golden cursive letters: Le Corbeau Ennuyé. Just from looking at the restaurant from the outside, one could tell that it was a fancy high-class restaurant whose customer base were likely rich folks. The exterior of the building was decorated with flowing golden trim and a few decorative gold-coloured symbols that resembled cymbals.

Sparks glanced over at the Buizel. Just as he had been for the whole day, he was still standing out with them in public without his hoodie, and he was still smiling. He did seem a little bit less enthusiastic at the moment, though that seemed to stem from feeling awkward about his request. Sparks tried to hide the wary look on his face, and he saw Kona and Danika doing the same.

"You want to eat dinner in this restaurant?" he asked, just to make sure he understood.

Ziggy nodded. "Yup! If it's okay with you guys."

"Uh…" Sparks murmured, "I don't know for sure. Maybe… Why here, though? Why this restaurant?"

"Well…" Ziggy said, glancing off to the side for a moment, "When I first came here…to Radiant City…this is where I stayed at first."

Sparks widened his eyes at that. "What?"

"Right over there," Ziggy said, pointing with his paw. Sparks and the others followed where he was pointing. "Right in that alley beside the restaurant. That was the first place I…well, 'lived' I guess…"

"Really?" Sparks replied.

"Mhm. But I couldn't stay there for long. It was a good enough spot to stay. Y'know, hidden away, lots of places to hide and keep safe. But the thing is, that alley is right next to a door that leads into that restaurant, and Pokémon would use it to bring out trash… And every time that door opened, the smells from inside of the restaurant came out.

"And it always smelled so good! I got super hungry every single time I just caught a whiff of it. It's the best thing I've ever smelled in my whole life. Oh my gosh, it drove me crazy. I couldn't risk, y'know, going in there and stealing food or anything, but I really really wanted to taste whatever it was in there that smelled so good. Eventually I had to leave and go find somewhere else to stay because I couldn't stand the smell anymore and not being able to eat the food."

Sparks was looking down at Ziggy in surprise. "Is that so?"

Ziggy nodded. "Ever since then, I've dreamed about eating here. I just never ever thought it would be possible."

Glancing over at the restaurant again, Sparks remained silently in thought. Ziggy's story had certainly intrigued him, if nothing else. He couldn't imagine the frustration of being a starving homeless Pokémon living next to a restaurant that smelled amazingly good.

"…I, uh…" Ziggy spoke up in a more subdued tone. When Sparks turned back to look at him, he saw the Buizel's smile was starting to falter. "I just, y'know…If we can't eat there, it's fine. It's probably too expensive, right?"

"Well, um…" Sparks murmured. Ziggy's fading smile had ignited an irrational panic in him for a brief second, like he was afraid if Ziggy's smile went away it would never return. "It's not that, Ziggy. I mean, yeah…It's probably a pretty expensive restaurant, but we usually splurge on something on celebration days like this. The three of us can split the cost, and we probably wouldn't order a whole lot…"

Ziggy's expression began to light up again. "R-really?" he said in what could only be described as cub-like wonder.

"I'm just not…totally sure…" Sparks said, biting his lip for a moment.

"Why?"

Sparks glanced over at the restaurant and was silent for a moment again. "Well, Ziggy…Upscale restaurants like these, you usually have to reserve a table ahead of time. They're popular and in high demand so they want Pokémon to book a spot in advance."

"Oh, really?" Ziggy asked. He seemed more curious than disappointed.

"Sometimes they have really long waiting lists too…and, I'm just thinking that-"

"Well, that's fine!" Ziggy chirped happily, "We can at least go in and try, right? If they're all booked up or something, well that sucks but whatever."

"Ah…" Sparks muttered, slightly caught off guard, "Well, uh…I suppose we…" He trailed off and glanced down at Ziggy once again. The eager, excited smile on the Buizel's muzzle cut right through to Sparks' heart. He had been looking at the impossible sight of a smiling Ziggy all day, and the thought of being the one to erase that smile was practically unthinkable. "I…suppose you're right," he eventually said, "We can at least try."

Ziggy gasped in delight. "Yay! Oh, thank you Sparks! Thank you so much! This is wonderful! Oooh, I hope they have room!"

Sparks couldn't help but smile at the young Buizel's joyfulness. "Yeah, I hope so too. You never know, right?"

"Yup! You never know!" Ziggy then started to run off and called over his shoulder, "C'mon guys! Let's go!"

Sparks started to follow the Buizel, but something grabbed and pulled back on one of this paws. He turned around to see that it was Kona who had stopped him. "Sparks…Are you sure about this?" Kona asked. Both he and Danika had hesitant expressions.

"I…I don't know…" he admitted.

"You know what kind of Pokémon would be eating at a restaurant like this," Danika said in a cautioning voice.

Sparks sighed. "I know. I didn't want to say anything. I didn't want to dash his dream…" When he looked over his shoulder, he saw that Ziggy had already reached the restaurant's front door and was reaching up to the handle. He turned around and started to make his way over there as well, and the other two followed behind him.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Kona said.

"…We'll be with him," Sparks said, "He's with the three of us, and we're all high-level guild alumni. Even with Pokémon from this sort of crowd, our badges command some respect. If he's with us, he should be fine."

"Assuming the restaurant even lets him in…" Danika remarked.

Ziggy had already entered the restaurant and the door closed behind him, so Sparks started jogging to catch up. "I don't want to just assume bad things will happen," he said to the two Pokémon following him, "That's exactly the kind of stuff we've been teaching Ziggy not to do. He's been handling things really well today so far, so if they won't let him in or someone says something rude I'm sure he'll be fine."

He heard Kona sigh and then say, "All right…"

"Sparks is right. It'll be fine," Danika said. After a pause, she added, "…I hope."

The trio reached the door to the restaurant a moment later, and Sparks reached up towards the handle. He pulled the door open and looked inside. The door led into a somewhat narrow hallway that was about forty or fifty feet long. There were solid walls on either side, where some framed paintings were hung. A carpet decorated the hall, leading from the front door right up to the reception stand. The interior of the restaurant was not visible from where Sparks was standing, though he did notice an opening to the left of the reception stand that likely led to the dining area.

Ziggy was standing at the base of the reception stand, which was almost twice as tall as he was. He had his forepaws up against the front of it, and was looking up with an eager smile and a wagging tail at the Pokémon standing behind it. Said Pokémon was an unusually tall and rather lean-looking Kricketune. He had a black bowtie around his neck and a decorative garment resembling an apron tied around his midsection. Sparks assumed that this Kricketune was the restaurant's maître d', and he was looking down at Ziggy with a look of contempt that bordered on scorn or even outright disgust.

Sparks immediately panicked. "Ziggy!" he called out, catching the attention of both Pokémon who turned to look at him. Sparks addressed Ziggy first by saying, "Don't run off like that without us, bud."

"Sorry!" Ziggy said with an apologetic smile. Sparks imagined that Ziggy had eagerly rushed right up to the maître d' and asked if they had room without even a second thought.

"This Pokémon…is with you?"

Sparks internally winced at the almost stereotypically snobbish voice that could only belong to the Pokémon standing behind the reception stand. He looked up, again marveling at just how tall this Kricketune was, and saw the same expression of distain being levelled at him. "Yes," he replied, "Yes he is."

At first it looked like the maître d' was about to say something rather unpleasant, but Sparks saw his eyes shift downward slightly and his expression changed. He looked surprised for a brief moment, and then quickly revered to a rather 'neutral' facial expression. Sparks knew that the Kricketune had taken notice of his badge.

"I see," he said quite simply, "Then, if I may…Welcome, madame et monsieurs, to Le Corbeau Ennuyé. It is a pleasure to have esteemed alumni of the Rescue Society here with us. How may I help you today?"

Sparks relaxed a little, seeing that the Kricketune had adopted a professional attitude. He cleared his throat and said, "Good evening. Ah, we were wondering if you possibly had any availability for tonight. Just for us, a party of four."

"Do you have a reservation?" the Kricketune asked.

"No, sorry, we don't," Sparks said as he sighed inwardly, "You see, the four of us are out celebrating today, and we sort of had the idea to eat here as a spur of the moment thought."

"Le Corbeau Ennuyé operates via reservations, and we are generally booked up for the next couple months" the Kricketune said, looking down with a disinterested look and writing something down, "We do not serve walk-ins unfortunately."

Sparks nodded sadly and said, "That's what I thought. Okay then, thank you." The Raichu looked over to the Buizel to call him over, and saw the young Pokémon's shoulders slump. He was still peering up the front of the reservation stand, so Sparks couldn't see his expression.

The maître d', however, was looking at him again. He wore a considerate expression for a moment, and Sparks realized he was looking at his badge again. He then looked down at the papers on his stand for a quick moment and said, "Actually…"

Sparks' ears perked up with hope. He noticed Ziggy react in a similar way.

"If you will excuse me for a moment, there may possibly be something we can do for alumni such as yourselves." He then shortly bowed his head and turned around to walk off into the restaurant.

Sparks glanced back at Kona and Danika, who both looked surprised and unsure about what was happening. Kona shrugged at him, so Sparks just shrugged back.

"Oooooh!" Ziggy gushed, causing Sparks to turn back to him. The Buizel dashed over to him, his forepaws quivering in excitement. "I hope we can get in!" he said, "I can smell it already! Oh my gosh, it smells even better than I remember!"

"Heh…" Sparks chuckled, "Probably because we're inside now."

"It does smell good," Kona agreed as he idly stepped forward. Danika followed him, and was looking at her surroundings with interest.

"To be honest, I don't even know what they serve here," Sparks said.

"Whatever it is, it'll be super good!" Ziggy squealed.

"Ziggy," Sparks said in a more serious tone, "If we do get in, you have to remember to keep your voice down. This is a very, uh…dignified place, kind of like the library."

"Mhm!" Ziggy said as he nodded eagerly, "I will. I promise."

A few moments later, the maître d' returned to his stand. Sparks stepped forward and looked up as the Kricketune spoke to him.

"Le Corbeau Ennuyé is willing to offer an exception for you today," he explained, "You are very fortunate, as a group of reservees had to cancel earlier today, so we do in fact have a vacant table in the dining hall at this moment. We would be willing to seat your group at this table."

Sparks' eyes went wide upon hearing this, and he heard Ziggy gasp in delight. "Really?" he spoke, "Oh wow. That is very generous of you. Thank you!"

"We do, however, have another group of reservees coming to be seated at that table forty minutes from now. As such, we are only able to offer you this table for that period of time, and your party must leave before then. While we do respect you, guild alumni, our clientele with reservations do take priority."

"That won't be a problem," Sparks said as he turned back to look at Kona and Danika. Neither of them seemed to have any objections. "We were just planning to order a single course anyway."

"Ah, very well sir," the Kricketune then said. He briefly glanced down and gathered up some menus from a stack on his stand. "You said…" he spoke in a slow voice, "…party of four, correct?"

"Yes," Sparks replied. As he expected, the Kricketune cast a quick, furtive glance downwards at the Buizel standing at the front of the group. He then added one more menu to the stack.

"Very good, sir," he said in the most neutral tone he could muster, "Please follow me."

The Kricketune then turned and walked through the opening that led into the restaurant. Ziggy briefly looked back at his companions with a huge, excited smile, and then immediately started to follow the maître d'. Sparks fell in step behind him, though not without a jolt in his heart. Like taking those last few steps towards the edge before a bungee jump, Sparks couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

With Kona and Danika behind him, Sparks rounded the corner and was surprised to see another hallway through the opening instead of the dining area. It was short, but there was a door at the end. Sparks only had a moment to marvel at the restaurant's strange arrangement before his anxiety demanded his attention again. The closer they got to that door, the more Sparks questioned if he had made a mistake in bringing Ziggy here. The maître d' hadn't done or said anything damning, as he was thankfully quite professional, so that was at least a bit of a good sign.

Before Sparks knew it, the Kricketune had reached the door. He opened it, stepped through so he could hold it open, and gestured for the guests to enter as well. With the door open, Sparks immediately knew why Ziggy had wanted to come here. He had gotten a bit of the delicious scent while in the entry area, but out in the dining area the wonderful smell of whatever this restaurant was cooking made Sparks feel ravenously hungry within seconds. Ziggy had been right; this restaurant smelled amazing, and Sparks found he just couldn't get enough of whatever that wonderful scent was.

He was also alerted to the sounds that were coming from the dining area, and what immediately struck him was that it did not sound like any restaurant he had ever been to. While there were various overlapping discussions from patrons that he could hear, everyone's voices were very subdued. Instead, the prevailing sound in the dining hall was a very calm, serene piece of music being played on string instruments.

Ziggy nearly skipped his way through the door. Once he was past the maître d', he turned a full 360 degrees on the spot and took in at the entire dining area with a look of wonder on his face. As Sparks and the others stepped through as well, he noticed Ziggy take in a deep, long breath through his nose which he followed with a satisfied sigh.

Wordlessly, the maître d' then gestured for the group to follow and he began to lead them across the dining hall. Ziggy again followed right behind him, while Sparks and the others followed in single file. The interior of the restaurant was quite spacious, though much of the space was filled with dining tables. The walls and ceiling were painted a mixture of white and very light grey, creating a vaguely swirling pattern along the walls. The corners were all trimmed in black, and there were various black decorative columns throughout the room. Everything was lined with golden trim, which perfectly accentuated the two very large golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. All of the dining tables were covered in immaculate white tablecloths, though each had black trim along the edges and were decorated with the same golden symbol Sparks had seen out front in their centres.

From where Sparks was, he couldn't see a single unoccupied dining table. Nearly every seat in the house was taken. Glancing around at the other patrons, Sparks could see they were all posh, upper-class Pokémon who all looked like they had tons of money. Many of them were wearing jewelry or other adornments, and some were wearing rather pricey looking clothing. The species of Pokémon eating here ran the full gambit. Here, a Hypno was dining with a particularly beautiful Serperior. There, a group consisting of a Decidueye, a Flaaffy and a Gardevoir were sitting together.

While the atmosphere was quiet, the restaurant was nonetheless lively. Pretty much everybody in the restaurant was having a conversation with their companions, as there wasn't a single Pokémon to be seen dining alone. They all kept their voices at a respectably quiet volume, but everybody was talking, sharing topics of conversation, and generally having a good time.

As the group crossed the restaurant, eventually coming within view of the empty table that would soon be seating them, Sparks started to see it. Heads were turning, some even doing a double take. Expressions were changing, shifting to astonished and flummoxed looks. Pokémon started leaning over to whisper to their companions, who whispered back.

Sparks gulped and simply kept on walking, trying to avoid eye contact with anybody else. The hardest to ignore, though, was that the volume of conversation in the room was slowly going down. The closer they got to their table, the less ambient conversation Sparks could hear. Pokémon were falling silent. They were staring at them, stunned and speechless as they gawked at who had just entered their very fancy restaurant.

At least the musicians kept playing.

"Here you are, madam and sirs," the Kricketune said, snapping Sparks out of his reverie. They had reached the table, and now all he could hear aside from the music were hushed whispers.

"Thank you, mister!" Ziggy said, thankfully keeping his voice quiet like he had promised.

"…Yes, well…" the maître d' said somewhat dismissively and turned to address Sparks instead. "Here are your menus," he said, placing said items onto the table neatly, "I will be back soon to take your order. Please decide quickly."

Sparks nodded and said, "Thank you. We appreciate this very much, sir."

"I already know what I'm getting," Ziggy spoke up, "Whatever that smell is!"

The Kricketune then nodded respectably to Sparks and walked off, ignoring Ziggy's comment entirely. Once he was gone, Sparks turned to regard his three companions as they all stood around the table. Kona was giving him a look of silent concern, to which Sparks simply shrugged. Danika, on the other paw, was looking at her surroundings, as was Ziggy.

"This place is gorgeous," she commented.

Sparks looked up and followed her gaze, really taking note of the architecture and aesthetics of the restaurant's interior. He noticed some objects that were attached to the roof that he had previously thought were just circular designs, but Sparks now realized that they were actually cymbals. The two hanging chandeliers cast a brilliant light onto the entire room that really lit up the white and gold paint adorning the walls. Sparks had to agree, it was a pretty amazing sight to behold.

"Wow!" Ziggy gushed, "This place is so cool!"

As his gaze drifted, Sparks took notice of the paintings that were hanging on the walls. He didn't recognize any of the art specifically, but he could tell that they were all high-quality paintings done by renowned artists. Continuing to turn his head, Sparks finally saw who was playing the music. It was a quartet of string players consisting of a Whimsicott, a Delphox, another Kricketune and, most surprisingly, a Dragonite. This Kricketune was a female and, unlike her fellow musicians, did not have an instrument and was instead playing music with her feelers and wings. Sparks had to admit he was impressed by everything, especially her.

Those good feelings didn't last long, though, as Sparks once again found himself looking at the restaurant's other patrons. Anyone who wasn't outright staring at them was looking at their dinnermates so they could whisper to them. There were two tables located close to theirs. One only had two occupants, who seemed to be doing all they could to avoid eye contact, though Sparks caught their displeased expressions. The other was a table filled to occupancy with six patrons, all of whom were female Pokémon of differing species. They were all older Pokémon, most looking older than Sparks himself, except for a Lopunny on the far side who looked to be in her early twenties. They were all openly staring at Ziggy, though there was a Delcatty that was giving an especially repulsed expression.

Sparks felt a lump in his throat. He was really starting to feel like this had been a bad idea, but he didn't want to tell Ziggy they were going to leave now. Maybe they should have just ordered takeout, although Sparks wondered if a restaurant like this even did that. Hopefully, since it was just one course they would be having, they could eat and leave before anybody did anything stupid.

"Sparks!"

The Raichu looked over at Ziggy, who was leaning against the back of one of the chairs and looking at him with a big smile. "This is so great. Thank you, Sparks. I'm really happy!"

"Hey, don't worry about it bud," Sparks said, his own smile returning, "I hope it tastes as good as it smells for you."

"We've all said it a lot before," Danika chimed in, "but you've been working really really hard since you first came to the guild."

"Aw, thanks Danika…" Ziggy said gratefully, "I hope you enjoy whatever you order too. I know you usually get takeout delivered to your 'dungeon', haha."

"Speaking of which," Kona said, "We are on a bit of a time limit here, so why don't we sit down and all decide what to order."

"Sounds good!" Danika agreed.

The other three then busied themselves with selecting a seat and sitting down. There were only four seats at the table. Sparks assumed more would be brought out based on how many reserved the table. He didn't sit down right away, as he was momentarily distracted by taking in his surroundings. Everyone was staring, but thankfully nobody was doing anything.

Sparks shook his head and then grabbed the chair that was in front of him. He looked up as he pulled it out, seeing that Kona was in his seat and picking up a menu and Danika was pulling her chair out. Ziggy was busy pulling his own chair back so that he could sit in it, and Sparks' heart skipped a beat when he saw which chair Ziggy had chosen.

The one closest to the neighbouring table with the six Pokémon.

Ziggy happily hopped up onto his seat. The moment he did so, and before he could even begin pulling his seat towards the table, there was a loud slam.

The Delcatty at the next table had abruptly slammed both of her paws onto the table, causing the plates and silverware on it to clatter, and let out an almost laughably stereotypical huff. Out of the six diners at that table, the Delcatty was the one sitting directly behind Ziggy's chair. Sparks felt his blood run cold and hit bit his lip as the Delcatty whipped her head around to face him with a venomous glare.

"Ex-CUSE me, sir!" she exclaimed in a shrill voice that cut through the quiet air of the restaurant, "If you must bring that thing in here with you, then I insist he sit somewhere else away from me!"

A heavy silence filled the entire dining hall. Even the musicians stopped playing. Sparks found himself frozen on the spot for a moment as he tried to process what had just happened, all while the Delcatty continued to give him a furious, expectant stare.

It took a moment for Sparks' brain to jumpstart and his jaw to stop hanging uselessly. With a little shake of his head, he finally responded. "I beg your pardon?" he said, firmly but not loudly.

"You heard me!" the Delcatty shrieked, her voice echoing through the whole room, "I don't know how in the world you were even able to get in here with that thing, but if it must be here then I will not have it sit so close to me, so move it elsewhere."

It took another moment for Sparks to realize that he hadn't imagined things and the Delcatty actually was saying these things. Sparks was utterly floored. He had been worried about something happening by setting paw inside of this restaurant, but this Pokémon had come right out of the gates swinging. In all the time he had known Ziggy, he had never heard anyone stoop this low before.

Sparks took a few steps towards her, simply so he wouldn't have to speak loudly for her to hear him. She recoiled as he approached, as if afraid he would strike her, but relaxed a little when she saw him stop a few paces away.

"Okay," Sparks said in a slow, deliberate tone, "First of all, that is not a 'thing'. That is my friend. He is a living, breathing Pokémon just like you or I, not an object." The Delcatty scoffed, but Sparks simply continued. "Secondly, he can sit wherever he damn well pleases. This is the table that was given to us, so this is where we're sitting."

A shiver ran up Sparks' spine upon hearing his own voice, but it shouldn't have been surprising. Sparks could feel his blood boiling. Chromaphobia was one thing, but this was just downright demeaning. No Pokémon should be spoken to like that. Worse, she wasn't even speaking to Ziggy. She was talking to Sparks as if he were Ziggy's 'owner' or something.

The Delcatty rolled her eyes. "Regardless," she said in a dismissive tone, "You will move…him elsewhere. I want to eat my dinner in peace, thank you." It seemed as if it had taken significant effort for her to use the word 'him'.

Sparks glared at the Delcatty. He could hear whispers and murmurs, but the silence still reigned for the most part. The two of them were now the centre of attention, but Sparks didn't give a damn. "What is your problem?" Sparks asked, "He didn't come anywhere near you. He barely pulled his chair out. Why do you-?"

"Do you know who I am?" the Delcatty suddenly shouted, cutting him off.

"Wh-"

"I am Myrtle Opalescence IV, and I am a preferred, privileged customer at this establishment. I will not have my dining experience ruined by Pokémon bringing freaks in off the streets like they own the place. At first I was questioning how you and your group of scruffy Pokémon got in, but I see now that you are member of the guild…" She said the last word with an air of distaste. "I would have thought members of the guild would know better than this…"

A group of quieter voices began to speak up in approval of what Myrtle had just said. Sparks glanced over to see that all the other Pokémon at her table were nodding their heads in agreement, babbling about the same sort of nonsense, and giving Sparks the same looks of distain. The only exception was the younger Lopunny, who wasn't saying anything and was simply looking at the rest of her group.

"Ma'am…" Sparks said, keeping his voice low, "I am asking you politely to please leave us alone. We haven't done anything to you, nor do we intend to. We just want to eat dinner in peace. There's no need for such deplorable language."

"No!" Myrtle spat, "You seem to have difficulty hearing me. Move the freak elsewhere, away from me! I do not come to this establishment to socialize with riffraff like this!"

"You are being unbelievably offensive right now, and we do not appreciate it," Sparks growled, trying to keep his temper under control. He glanced over his shoulder as he heard approaching pawsteps, seeing that Kona had walked up next to him and was crossing his forelimbs in disapproval towards the other group.

She scoffed again. "Honestly, our entire day is ruined now thanks to you. I was trying to be nice, but now I think I shall instead insist that you choose another table entirely if you are going to be this difficult."

Sparks winced at the Delcatty's shrill tone. She was still speaking loudly, and Sparks could feel everybody's eyes on them as a result.

"If you're so bothered, why don't you move to another table?" Kona asked.

"Kona…" Sparks murmured in a warning tone.

"Who do you Pokémon think you are?!" Myrtle shouted, " You are lucky my dearly departed mate is not here, or he would escort you out of this restaurant himself and ensure you never even think of returning again!"

Sparks' eyes went wide. He was taken aback entirely. Threats now? This was absolutely ridiculous. "Ma'am…" he said, crossing his forelimbs as well, "There is no rule preventing any one of us from coming in here, or choosing our own seats, otherwise the maître d' wouldn't have let us in in the first place. Sorry if it bothers you so much, but we will be sitting here thank you very much."

"Get out!" Myrtle shouted, louder than before.

"Would you please calm down?"

By now, the other Pokémon at Myrtle's table were all squawking their heads off in agreement and all that could be heard was a cacophony of voices saying "get out". The Lopunny still hadn't spoken up, but she was starting to look more and more uncomfortable. She kept looking at the Delcatty with a troubled expression. Sparks hardly noticed though, as he was more focused on everybody else giving him and his group death glares and clamouring for his removal.

Before Sparks could say anything else, he noticed someone was approaching them. He turned and saw that the same Kricketune from before, the maître d', was hurriedly walking towards their table. Sparks let out a sigh of relief. The maître d' could certainly bring this conflict to an end, or at least Sparks hoped so. The Delcatty had been shouting and disruptive, to the point that Sparks wondered what had taken the Kricketune so long to come. Hopefully, they would get kicked out.

However, once the maître d' reached them he addressed Sparks instead, still using the same quiet, professional tone as before. "I'm terribly sorry, sir," he spoke, "but I'm afraid I am going to have to ask you and your party to leave."

Sparks stared, open-mouthed, in shock. "Excuse me?" he replied once he managed to find his voice, "For what?" He could also hear Kona and Danika voice similar disbelief from behind him.

"You are disturbing our other customers."

"I…" Sparks stared for a moment, flabbergasted. "Sir," he said in a respectful tone, "We have not done anything wrong. She is the one who started harassing us, and she is the one who has been loudly shouting this entire time. We have kept our voices down."

The Kricketune's stoic expression didn't change at all, almost as if Sparks hadn't even spoken. "Be that as it may," he said, "I still must insist that you leave, as your presence here is causing a disturbance."

"Yes, get out!" Myrtle shouted from behind him, "Get that filthy freak out of here!"

"Sir, you cannot be serious…" Sparks said to the Kricketune, "See the way she is-"

"Don't talk back!" Myrtle interrupted, "This is what you get for bringing one of those things in here. What were you thinking?!"

"Hey, come on now," Kona said, stepping up next to Sparks and levelling a disapproving glare at the Delcatty, "This is beyond unreasonable now."

"If you sirs and miss would leave now, please," the maître d' said.

"That's not fair!" Danika called, who was still standing next to the chair she hadn't gotten a chance to sit in.

"Really, this is unbelievable!" a Glameow next to Myrtle scoffed.

"Can't you do your job properly?!" a Persian shouted to the maître d'.

"Sir, again, I must ask you to leave. If you do not, I will be forced to summon the authorities."

"This is discrimination!" Sparks shot back, feeling his temper start to rise, "If anything, she and her party should have to leave because they have been extremely loud and disruptive."

"Sir-"

"I am a preferred customer here! We all are!" Myrtle shouted back indignantly.

The volume in the room started to get louder as all of the Pokémon at Myrtle's table started squabbling at once. Sparks tried to reason with the maître d', but it was difficult making his voice heard over the cacophony of demands and slurs coming from the other table. Every word out of Myrtle's muzzle at this point was a loud shout.

"…Sparks?"

The maître d' finally started losing some of his professional tone as he started to more urgently press Sparks to leave. Sparks simply crossed his forelimbs and refused. "We have done nothing wrong!" he stated defiantly. Kona was threatening to lodge a complaint against the restaurant, while Myrtle was doing the same thing in a much angrier way.

Now other patrons at nearby tables were starting to clamour for the removal of Sparks' group. Sparks barely paid them any attention; all of his focus was on Myrtle and the maître d'. The latter was now threatening to call on the restaurant's owner, who lived not far away, and Myrtle was shouting and whining about how her entire day was ruined by this experience now.

"Sparks?"

Clenching his paws, Sparks felt his rage build. Dealing with horrible, chromaphobic Pokémon was one thing, but the fact that the restaurant was taking her side left him absolutely fuming. He was trying his best to keep from shouting himself, but it was a losing battle. Never, in his entire life of working with the guild, had he ever seen such injustice. Danika was shouting from behind, simply so that she could be heard. Myrtle was practically screeching by this point. Some other members of her party looked like they were ready to stand right up out of their seats. Sparks grit his teeth and growled. The maître d' may have just been doing his job, but Sparks was rapidly losing his patience. Damn the consequences, he was going to start yelling.

"RAZ!"

The loud cry of a high-pitched voice cut through the chaos and caused everyone to fall silent. Sparks looked over at the one who had shouted, blinking a few times while he realized just how angry he had gotten. He had almost completely lost control of himself. "Uh…Y-yeah, buddy?" he said.

Ziggy had turned in his seat and was looking up at him with a hard expression. Sparks only belatedly realized that Ziggy had sat quietly in his seat the entire time, facing the table and had not looked back at Myrtle or her group once. To Sparks' surprise, there weren't any tears in his eyes. However, his heart shattered when he saw that the brilliant smile Ziggy had been wearing all day was finally gone.

The Buizel took in a breath through his nose and let it out slowly. "Let's just go," he said softly.

"What?" Sparks blurted out, taken aback, "But…But Ziggy…"

"Please?"

Sparks gasped softly upon hearing the firmness in Ziggy's voice. The Buizel was giving him a resolute stare, without a trace of doubt in his eyes. Sparks then glanced around for a moment, noting that all eyes were on him. They couldn't just give up now. They hadn't done anything wrong, and Ziggy deserved to eat here just as much as any other paying customer. Kona and Danika were looking back at him, equally as surprised as he was.

Then Sparks looked at Ziggy once again, but the Buizel's expression hadn't changed. It was clear to see that Ziggy's mind had been made up, and nothing was going to change it. Sparks' shoulders slumped and his tail drooped as he let out the breath he had been holding in. A wave of disappointment washed over him. "All right…" he said sadly, "Let's go…"

Sparks watched as Ziggy pushed his chair back and hopped off of it. He saw the Buizel look up at the maître d', who stepped to the side and gestured silently towards the exit. Ziggy just looked away and slowly started to walk. Sparks fell into step behind him.

While it was of course embarrassing to be kicked out of a restaurant, especially with everyone's eyes on him, Sparks didn't really care about that. He was too focused on giving both the table of older females and the maître d' the best stink eye he could muster. Ziggy wasn't looking at any of them; he was just staring straight ahead. Sparks' group was giving up, and those other Pokémon knew they had won. The maître d', to his credit, somehow managed to remain perfectly professional as he stood and patiently waited for the 'disruptive customers' to walk past him.

The Delcatty who had started this all, however, show no such restraint. Myrtle was wearing what Sparks wouldn't hesitate to call an 'evil grin'. He could feel an aura of superiority and entitlement just radiating off of her. She had gotten her way, without a thought for how it might possibly impact others, and couldn't be happier with the results.

"Yes, that's right!" Myrtle spat as she watched Ziggy stride past her, "Get out of here and go back to where you belong!" She then reached out one of her hind paws and used it to kick Ziggy squarely in his back. The Buizel hadn't been looking at her, so the unexpected shove immediately sent him tumbling to the ground.

Sparks' blood turned to literal fire. "Hey! Hey! C'mon!" he shouted furiously, "What the hell are you doing?!"

As Myrtle started to babble some nonsensical reply, Ziggy quietly picked himself up off the ground. He stood for a moment and brushed off his fur, and then turned around to face Myrtle for the first time that evening. Myrtle fell silent for a moment in mid-sentence, and looked as if she was about to say something crass towards the Buizel.

She didn't get a chance to. Ziggy stepped forward, pulled back one of his paws, and punched her right in the side of her face. Hard. She immediately fell off of her chair and crumpled onto the ground in a heap.

A chorus of gasps rung out from all of the other patrons. There was a moment of pure silence where not even Myrtle made a sound. Then, as if realizing what had just happened to her, she started crying out in pain and misery while writhing about on the ground. Ziggy just stood there above her for a moment, staring down at her with a look of contempt. Then he promptly spun on his heels and stormed off towards the exit.

At first Sparks just stood there, slack-jawed and staring. He couldn't believe what he had just seen was real. It couldn't have been real, it was impossible. It was only Myrtle's cries of distress that managed to shake him from his reverie. He shook his head and then turned his attention to the Delcatty on the floor. "Are you okay?" he asked, getting down on all fours next to her.

"He struck me! He assaulted me!" she screamed out, ignoring Sparks.

"Tell me what hurts, and how much-"

"Stay away from me, you cretin!" she exclaimed, recoiling from Sparks' outstretched paw, "You are all such terrible villains!"

"Ma'am-"

"My face! My poor, beautiful face is ruined!" She swatted away Sparks' paw. "Keep your paws off me!"

Sparks growled for a moment and then exploded. "Would you shut up for two seconds?! I am a senior alumnus of the Rescue Society, and as such I am fully trained and certified in basic first aid. I am trying to help you, you arrogant bitch, even though you really don't deserve it. Now will you sit still so I can see if you are actually in need of medical services?!"

Myrtle stared up at him silently with a mix of emotions on her face. Her eyes glanced down at his badge for a moment, then she pouted like a spoiled cub and said, "Fine…"

While a commotion started to build around him, Sparks focused on examining the Delcatty. He used his paws to gently feel the side of her face where she had been struck, and asked her where exactly it hurt. He had her move her jaw in a few ways as well, and also checked her shoulders since she had fallen to the ground roughly. Thankfully, she refrained from her typical theatrics while he did so.

Finally. Sparks sat up on his haunches and sighed. "You're fine," he pronounced, "Nothing is damaged or broken. At worst, you'll receive a rather large bruise on your cheek."

She sputtered indignantly for a moment and said, "You cannot be serious! I can't have a bruise! Are you mad? This is completely unacceptable and-"

Once he was certain she didn't need medical attention, Sparks stopped paying attention to the Delcatty entirely. He stood back up slowly, holding a paw to his head. He glanced over at Kona and Danika, who were both still in shock. Danika hadn't even yet moved away from her seat. He glanced over at the maître d', who had lost his calm demeanour and now looked like he didn't know what to do next. Finally, Sparks glanced over towards the restaurant's entrance, in the direction of the door Ziggy had disappeared through.

Sparks still couldn't wrap his head around it. Of all the things he had expected might happen, that had not been one of them. It felt like a fake memory in his head, like he was picturing another shiny Buizel wearing a guild badge. Although, while he was completely in shock, this didn't change the fact that Sparks was still angry. He was furious at Myrtle, her party, the maître d', and the restaurant itself, and he wanted so badly to take out his anger on at least one of them.

He knew he couldn't, though. Sparks heaved another sigh of frustration and started marching towards the door.

"S-sir! Where are you going?" the maître d' stammered as he quickly moved to intercept the Raichu.

"I'm going to look for my friend!" Sparks barked at him.

"You…cannot leave now!" the Kricketune responded, seeming to be searching for his words, "I cannot allow you to… There is… We need to…"

Sparks groaned in irritation and pinched the bridge of his muzzle. He turned back towards Kona and Danika and, still addressing the maître d', said, "My two associates will remain here with you to deal with this incident. You can discuss whatever needs to be discussed with them. They have a way to contact me if need be, as well as the Rescue Society itself. Contact the police if you must." He then turned and glared at the Kricketune before continuing. "I am going to look for my friend, who you might just consider a 'Pokémon of interest' in this matter by the way. I couldn't give two halves of an ass about you or your chromaphobic restaurant right now. My friend is out there on his own now somewhere and he needs me, so I am going to find him and be with him. Do you have an Arceus-damned problem with that?!"

The wide-eyed Kricketune was cowering away from Sparks, despite his superior height. "A-ah, um…N-no, sir," he replied shakily, "Not at all sir. Go right ahead."

Sparks glared at him for another moment, then turned to his guildmates. "You two can handle things here, right?" he asked in a much calmer voice. They were both looking at him wide-eyed as well, to Sparks' dismay. He hadn't meant to get quite that angry.

"Yeah, Sparks," Kona said with a nod, "Go find him."

"We'll be fine," Danika concurred.

Satisfied with their response, Sparks took one last glance at the scene around him. The other patrons of the restaurant were still staring at their group, many of them whispering to one another. The whole thing was a spectacle to them, and not one of them had felt the need to get involved. Sparks wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. He let out one more huff of frustration, and then made his way towards the exit.

When he stepped outside, he noticed two things. First, that it was starting to get dark and it was later in the day than he had realized it was. And second, that it was raining. Those clouds that had been near the edge of the sky had moved in unexpectedly and were now giving the town a healthy shower. Sparks looked up towards the sky with a scowl. "Et tu, weather?"

Sparks stepped out into the rain, feeling it begin to dampen his fur. He looked to the left and right along the street, but all he saw were Pokémon rushing to get in out of the rain. Ziggy wasn't anywhere in sight, but Sparks knew that would have been too easy.

The full gravity of what had just happened began to weigh on Sparks' shoulders. He held a paw to his face and shook his head in despair. He was getting sick of all the reminders that the world wasn't fair. Now Ziggy had run off and Sparks didn't know where he had gone or how to find him. His badge wasn't set up yet, so Sparks couldn't simply contact him.

"Ziggy?" he called out, just in case the Buizel was hiding somewhere nearby. He waited for a moment but got no response. Worry started to creep in. He wanted to believe that Ziggy was past his days of running away and that he had chosen to do something smart, but Ziggy had clearly been very emotional and might not have made a rational decision.

Sparks started to run in the direction they had come from before entering the restaurant. As he did, he tapped his badge. "Carmen?"

"Yes, Sparks?"

"I…" Sparks grimaced. Today was supposed to be a happy day. He didn't want to be delivering bad news like this. "I need you to tell me if Ziggy comes back to the guild…"


It was dark out, it was raining heavily, and Sparks was a miserable pile of soaking wet fur.

Only about an hour had passed since Sparks had started looking for Ziggy, but it had felt like an eternity. He was on a mission from hell, and it was taking its toll on both his mind and body. Sparks had started his search by just exploring the streets near the restaurant and calling out Ziggy's name. Unfortunately, he had gotten no response. After about a half hour of that, he'd had no other choice but to keep looking elsewhere.

To say Sparks was frustrated would be the understatement of the century, but he was worried too. Ziggy had come a long way since Sparks had first found him living on the streets, but the city was still a big place and the streets weren't always the safest place to be.

Other Pokémon probably thought he was a lunatic, but could he really blame them? He was going around the streets completely randomly, with his badge's flashlight on, shouting Ziggy's name constantly. Sparks had gone back to look at the streets near and around the guild, he had checked the places they had visited on this outing, and anywhere else he could think of. The city was just too big to look for one tiny, hiding Buizel.

"Sparks?" a voice suddenly emanated from his badge, causing him to jump slightly.

"Yeah, Kona?" Sparks said as he stopped for a moment to tap his badge and reply.

"…We're all done here. We're leaving."

Sparks knew that Kona was referring to the restaurant, where he and Danika still were. "Okay," he replied gruffly, "Everything straightened out?"

There was a noticeable pause. "We'll talk about it later, Sparks. Did you find him yet?"

"No…"

"Do you want us to help you, Sparks? We'll help you look. Where are you?"

Sparks sighed, holding his other paw to his head to try and quell his headache. "Go back to the guild and get things sorted with Carmen. She's waiting for you."

"But Sparks…! You-"

"Don't worry about it," Sparks cut him off, "I'll find him."

"Sparks, it's not a problem for us to-"

"Just do it!" Sparks shouted suddenly. He gasped at his own actions and then shook his head, letting water droplets fly. "I'm sorry…" he said immediately after, "I'm sorry, Kona. I don't mean to yell…"

A new voice then came through his badge. "Sparks, killing yourself out there isn't going to help Ziggy."

"Danika, I…" Sparks replied, but he couldn't find the words.

"You're probably freezing cold. You're not a Water or Ice-Type like we are. Go back to the guild and rest, and the two of us will go look for him."

"I…can't. I just can't…" Sparks said, "I have to find him. I have to be there for him. Now, more than ever, I can't abandon him…"

Sparks heard Danika sigh, and then Kona's voice returned. "Where have you looked so far? You know Ziggy better than any of us do. If he's not in any of the obvious spots, and he's not anywhere close to the restaurant or the guild, where would he be?"

"I don't know…" Sparks moaned. He realized that he actually was shivering just a little, and so took a minute to shake some of the rainwater out of his fur. "I don't know, I'm just running around randomly at this point."

"Well that's not going to help much," Kona said, "That's the job of a search party…"

"Maybe he's onto something, though," Danika suddenly interrupted. There was a pause, as if Kona replied to her without using the badge to talk. "Think about it," the Sneasel continued, "When Ziggy ran away he was probably really emotional, and he didn't realize until he was far away that he would make everybody worried. I don't know why he wouldn't just go back to the guild, but maybe he's gone somewhere where he knew Sparks would look."

"What do you think I've been doing the past hour?" Sparks muttered.

"Just…Sparks," Kona said, "If you insist on staying out there in the rain looking, can you please promise us you'll be smart about it?"

Sparks sighed and replied, "I will, Kona…"

"Just take a moment and think about it, Sparks," Danika chimed in, "Is there somewhere he might hide that's special for the two of you? Maybe somewhere that only you or him would know?"

A moment of quiet passed as Sparks just sat there and tried to think while the rain continued to pelt him. Everything he could think of, though, were places he had already looked. The only 'special' place he could think of was the Mystery Dungeon where Zuri had been rescued, but Sparks highly doubted Ziggy would have chosen to hide there.

Suddenly, Sparks gasped. Then he immediately furrowed his brow. Would Ziggy really hide there? Sparks had his doubts, but in the end he decided he didn't have any better idea. So, off into the rainy night he dashed once again.


It didn't take long for Sparks to reach the spot he had thought of.

He was in the marketplace, an area that Ziggy had refused to go back to ever since the incident all those months ago. Sparks had deliberately avoided looking here because of that simple fact, but he realized he had overlooked something.

Sparks turned a corner and found himself on a particular 'street' in the market. It was late and pouring rain, so most of the stalls were closed up right about now. This particular area was very familiar to Sparks, as he knew a certain Machamp ran a store just down at the other end. That Machamp's words still reverberated in his head.

"I don't wanna ever see either of your faces around my shop ever again! Ya got that?"

It wasn't a spot Sparks had been particularly keen on revisiting. He hoped that the Machamp wasn't currently at his store at the moment, as Sparks would have preferred to not have an altercation with him again. However, here he was anyway, hoping to find Ziggy. It might have seemed unlikely, but Danika's words had sparked something in the Raichu's head.

This was the spot where Ziggy's life had changed forever.

Sparks stood in the street for a moment, looking at his surroundings. From where he was, he could see three small alleys hidden between the buildings, which were exactly what he was looking for. The Raichu determinedly ran over to the one closest to him and poked his head in. "Ziggy?" he called out, but got no response. There wasn't much to see in the alley, which was very narrow and barely navigable.

Then, Sparks ran over to the next one, across the street. There were some old boxes and wooden pallets laying strewn about in this one, but as Sparks leaned his head in he could see something just barely visible behind one of the pallets.

"Ziggy!" he called out happily as relief washed over him. It was hard to see him in the cramped quarters of the dark alleyway, even with his badge's light turned on, but Sparks could see the distinct bright yellow and white colours of his Buizel friend. Sparks sidestepped a few boxes and entered the alleyway. As he got closer and moved past the pallet, he saw it was indeed Ziggy. The Buizel was sitting up next to one of the buildings, thankfully in a dry spot under an awning of some sort. He was sitting with his hind legs curled up close, his forelimbs leaning on them, and his head buried sullenly between his forearms. He hadn't looked up upon hearing Sparks call to him.

Sparks quickly tapped his badge. "I found him, Kona. I found him."

Kona's voice responded a moment later. "That's great, Sparks. Thank goodness. Let us know if you need anything."

"Thank you." Sparks then shifted his full attention onto the Buizel. "Hey, buddy," he said warmly as he stepped closer, "I'm so glad I found you. I was really worried about you."

Ziggy didn't say anything. He didn't even move.

"Buddy?" Sparks said, stepping right up in front of him, "You okay?" Sparks kicked himself for asking a stupid question and clarified by asking, "Are you hurt?"

Still, all Ziggy did was maintain a perfect impression of a Zen Darumaka.

"Ziggy, bud, it's okay. I'm just happy I managed to find you. Nothing else really matters to me right now, 'cus I'm just relieved that you're safe." Silence filled the air for a moment. "So…Can you talk to me? …Please?"

Suddenly, Ziggy thrust one of his forepaws out, causing Sparks to flinch. When he looked down, he saw that Ziggy was holding his badge in his upturned paw, and he was holding it out towards Sparks.

"Huh…?" Sparks murmured, "…Your badge?"

"Take it…" Ziggy grumbled in a dark voice that made Sparks shiver.

"What? What do you mean?"

"Take it…" Ziggy repeated.

Sparks frowned in confusion. "But…Why? That's your badge. What do you-"

"JUST TAKE IT!" Ziggy suddenly shouted, lifting his head and pulling his paw back only to then throw the badge towards Sparks. The Raichu barely managed to fumble and catch the badge in his paws.

Sparks stared in shock at the Buizel. Ziggy was staring at him with the most horrible facial expression, a painful mixture of anger and sadness. Ziggy was soaking wet from the rain, but even still Sparks could see from his reddish eyes that he had been crying profusely. His brow was knit as he scowled at Sparks, his lip trembling as he seemed to just barely hold back more tears.

"I know, okay?!" he shouted, "I know I screwed up! I know I screwed it all up, just like I always do! You don't have to rub it in!"

"Z-Ziggy, I…" Sparks murmured, but he was struck speechless by the Buizel's outburst.

"Just take the stupid thing!" Ziggy continued to shout, "I get it! I screwed up my chance to get in to the guild. I screwed up everything! I…I…" A brief moment of silence passed, and then Ziggy suddenly broke down in tears. He buried his muzzle into his forepaws again as he wept.

This broke Sparks from his stupor and he quickly swooped in and sat down next to Ziggy. "Hey, hey…Buddy, relax. It's okay. It'll be okay." Hearing Ziggy's cries was like a dagger in his heart, especially since Sparks was still thinking about the smile Ziggy had worn all day. "Calm down, Zig. I'm here, buddy. I'm here with you."

Sparks reached his paw around Ziggy's shoulders and pulled him into a hug. He realized he was soaking wet as he did so, but he figured the rain-loving Water-Type wouldn't mind. He could feel how much Ziggy was trembling showing just how badly shaken he was.

"C'mon, buddy…" Sparks spoke softly, "Please calm down? I hate to see you like this…" Ziggy continued to cry so Sparks turned and looked down at his other paw, where he was still holding Ziggy's badge. Ziggy had been so happy to receive it, that Sparks was still in shock he had tried to give it back so easily.

Ziggy kept on sobbing, so Sparks hugged him a little tighter. "Ziggy, come on. Just talk to me, okay? I'm not goin' anywhere. I'm gonna sit here with you right here, okay?" He paused for a moment, and thankfully Ziggy's sobbing did seem to subside a bit.

"Sparks…" he murmured after a minute, but didn't say anything else.

"What's all this about giving your badge back? Hm?" Sparks asked him.

Ziggy lifted his head, his cheeks freshly stained with tears. He slowly turned to look at Sparks, leveling a rather irritated look at him. "Because I screwed up!" he half-shouted, "How many times're ya gonna make me say it? I ruined everything and I'm not gonna join the guild now…"

Sparks gave him a sympathetic frown and asked, "Says who?"

"…What?"

"Why do you think you're not going to join the guild now?"

Ziggy just stared at him for a moment, as if Sparks had suddenly sprouted a second head. "Wh…" he murmured, and then shook his head. He clenched his eyes shut for a moment, two new tears streaming out, and then exclaimed, "Sparks! I can't be a member of the guild now! I'm going to prison!"

Sparks, utterly taken aback by the outburst, was struck silent for a moment. Ziggy burst into tears again, but didn't hide his face this time. Instead, he just let it hang in shame. "B…Buddy…" Sparks murmured.

"I finally had a chance to make my life better," Ziggy wept, "and I ruined everything!"

"Oh, buddy…C'mere…" Sparks leaned over and pulled Ziggy into a full embrace. He held the quivering Buizel warmly in his paws, cradling his head on his shoulder. Another dagger embedded itself into Sparks' heart when Ziggy didn't hug him back. The two stayed like that for a few minutes as Ziggy cried once more. Sparks just patted his back reassuringly.

It was a while before Ziggy's sobbing ended, and then Sparks spoke up. "Ziggy…" he said calmly, "You're not going to prison."

"Yes I am," he replied without hesitation, "I'm a criminal."

"Ziggy! Y-"

"They don't let criminals into the guild!"

Sparks pulled Ziggy out of the hug so that he could look him directly in the eyes. "Ziggy, you're not a criminal!" he said sternly, "Relax, okay? You're not going to prison. We're not going to let that happen."

Ziggy sniffled and said, "Sparks, I…I p-punched a Pokémon… That's…assault, isn't it?"

"Don't worry about that, okay? The guild will have your back, and we'll figure it all out. We do have a legal division, you know. She very clearly provoked you, and she kicked you first."

"But…But, Sparks…"

"Ziggy, it's going to be okay. We'll help you with this, just like we've been helping you this whole time. That's what we do."

With a little whine, Ziggy averted his gaze. It seemed like he was unconvinced by Sparks' words.

Sparks sighed and said, "Look…To be honest, I don't know what's going to happen next. There's a bunch of different ways this could go…but we're not going to let you get sent to prison. I can…almost certainly promise you that. Nobody in the guild wants to see you in prison, buddy. You don't deserve that."

Ziggy glanced up at him with misty eyes, still seeming unconvinced. "What're you gonna do…?"

"I don't know for sure, Zig. That's a question for our lawyers. I just know that we're going to help you and we're going to do our best to keep you safe. I'm not a lawyer, but I'm pretty sure that her kicking you first is going to help our case…" As silence filled the air and Ziggy glanced away again, Sparks felt his heart sink and he sighed once more. "Ziggy…I'm really sorry this all had to happen. I…We shouldn't have let you go in…"

"It's my fault. I wanted to go in…" Ziggy muttered.

"No, Ziggy, we knew what kind of place it was. We should have just said 'no'. I just…" Sparks swallowed the lump in his throat and said, "I didn't want to see you lose that smile…"

Ziggy's shoulders slumped and he didn't say anything.

"You were so happy today, bud…" Sparks said, "It was the most wonderful thing in the world to finally see you smile. I…I didn't want to be the one to take that smile away. Looking back on it, I realize that was kind of selfish of me. I should've been smarter."

A moment passed, and then Ziggy sighed forlornly. "I just…" he muttered, "I just thought…once I had that badge…" However, he trailed off and just shook his head.

"Hm? Once you had the badge, what?"

"I just thought Pokémon wouldn't bother me anymore if I had the badge on. I thought they'd look at me and be like, 'Hey, he's a member of the guild. That must mean he's a good guy!'"

Sparks frowned but nodded. "I did notice how much it boosted your confidence. I guess, in a way, you felt like it made you invincible?"

"I was still totally terrified out there…but I told myself I could ignore it. I had the badge, so I was a member of the Rescue Society and I didn't need to be scared anymore… I was stupid to think that…and now I don't even have the badge anymore…"

"Ziggy," Sparks cut in, "Stop it. You still have this badge. Only Carmen has the power to take it away from you, and I know she's not gonna." He then held the badge out towards Ziggy to see if he would take it back, but he didn't. "I mean…" Sparks continued, "I'm not saying what you did was good, but punching one Pokémon isn't going to just automatically boot you out of the guild."

Sadly, Ziggy's frown was still just as heavy. "Thanks, Sparks…" he said sullenly, "It's nice to hear you say that, and maybe you're right…but…"

"But what…?" Sparks asked softly.

"I just…" Ziggy said, "I just feel like I don't deserve it anymore. Like, I really feel like I shouldn't be a part of the guild now that I've done this…" He turned to look at Sparks, an intense look in his eyes. "Sparks, I'm sorry, but I don't believe you. I don't believe…how I could possibly still be a member of the guild after I've made such a huge, huge, huge mistake? A mistake this big is…i-is…"

Ziggy struggled with his words for a moment, then gave up and slumped his head down with a sigh. There was quiet between the two, while the sound of the heavy rain continued around them. The small awning was doing its job well and keeping the rain off of the two soaked Pokémon, though it did nothing to keep them warm.

Eventually, Ziggy spoke up again. "This mistake is too big. Way too big for somebody who's supposed to be in the guild. Somebody who's supposed to help others… Right?" Another moment of quiet passed, and then Ziggy turned to look at Sparks. "Right?" he repeated.

Sparks didn't say anything right away. He was looking in Ziggy's direction, but it would be more accurate to say he was staring right through him. Ziggy's words, though, resounded in his head like a gong. He started to feel a chill that had nothing to do with the cold weather.

"…S-Sparks?" Ziggy murmured nervously in concern.

"Zig…" Sparks said, his voice coming out hoarse at first before he cleared his throat. He focused his gaze on the Buizel, stared for a minute, then closed his eyes and held a paw to his forehead. He spent a moment taking a few deep breaths and repeating certain phrases to himself in his head. This was absolutely not something he wanted to do, but Sparks knew that Ziggy needed to hear this.

"Ziggy…" he said again, "You have nothing to worry about in that regard. Nothing at all. I know that your mistake isn't going to cost you your spot in the guild."

"But…How do you know that? How can you know that?" Ziggy replied, frowning intently.

Sparks sighed and suppressed another shiver. "Because…" he spoke, "I made a mistake once. I made a…huge mistake. A really…really awful mistake. Way, way, way bigger than this mistake you've just made, bud. It doesn't even compare." Sparks then opened his eyes and looked down at Ziggy. "I made a really terrible mistake…and I'm still part of the guild." He chuckled halfheartedly and added, "I'm a senior alumnus, in fact."

Ziggy just looked confused at first. "What do you mean?" he asked, "What mistake?"

Though he wanted to reply, Sparks instead had to shut his eyes and take some more deep breaths. He was thankful for the rain in this case, as the fresh, crisp air was helping him to feel calm.

Suddenly, Ziggy gasped. Sparks opened his eyes and saw he had both of his paws clasped over his mouth and a look of shock on his face. "Oh…" he whispered.

Sparks simply nodded.

"Your…The…The thing that…"

"Yeah, bud," Sparks remarked, "The thing that…gave me PTSD."

Sparks definitely had Ziggy's full attention now. The Buizel was now sitting up straight and looking right at him with huge, fascinated eyes. He raised a paw and opened his mouth to say something, but then withdrew with an unsure look on his face. "W…Way…bigger…?" he whispered.

"Mhm…" Sparks answered, "I wish punching someone in the face was all I had done…"

Ziggy's inquisitive look shifted back to worried.

"I suppose it's about time I told you what happened…" Sparks said, using an ironically casual tone of voice.

"Sparks, you…A-are you sure?" Ziggy asked.

With another sigh, Sparks said, "Yeah, it'll be fine. If it's with Pokémon that I really trust, I can at least talk about it…like I do with Kandice all the time. It's just…other stuff that makes me totally shut down…"

Ziggy didn't seem any less worried, but he did nod.

"Just…Well, uh…It's kind of embarrassing, but…" Sparks murmured. He awkwardly scratched his head for a moment and then asked, "Could you…hold my paw? While I tell you?"

This seemed to catch Ziggy off guard. "Hold your…paw?"

"It just helps remind me that I'm here…and not back then…"

"Okay…"

Ziggy shuffled himself a little closer, then slowly reached out one of his paws. Sparks took it and held it with his own paw. Looking down, Sparks saw Ziggy looking back up with an inquisitive but slightly apprehensive look. The rain continued to fall, and the droning din of the downpour was calming to listen to. It seemed a fitting accompaniment to the story Sparks was about to tell.