Tyranitar grumbled as he and his ally walked over another rolling hill. This depression next, he thought, for the third time, only to be disappointed and see some wooloo loitering around. Beside him his fellow commander, Bisharp, walked placidly and seemed to be analyzing her surroundings. They set out on the mountain lord's behalf to assess the group of pokémon who kept a firm hold on the east plains.

"Are we almost there?" he asked the bladed steel-type.

"Almost," she said, not annoyed that he'd already asked this question. "A little more," she added. "We are here to parley, not attack."

"These pokémon might. We're not peaceful types, you see," Tyranitar said.

"Nor are they. But according to our boss's source their leader isn't any typical thug. Explains why he's dominated for the past few four-seasons. The informant said this guy has zero consideration to join anyone. He was once under another's dominion, after all."

"Why didn't we gather the lackeys and storm the place? Why even bother having a chat?" Tyranitar crossed his arms. "Why did you and the boss shoot down my idea?"

Bisharp continued stoically, "We have no idea how this little thug and his pokémon operate. Plus, if the old guard couldn't overwhelm him and his friends back then, what makes you think our weak lackeys can now?"

"There's got to be a way," Tyranitar affirmed.

"Of course there is. However, we can gather intel about what this guy's weak spots are if we speak to him under the guise that we remain peaceful."

The two pokémon eclipsed another rolling hill and at its peak stopped and looked down into the shallow valley before them.

"Found it," Bisharp said, a small, satisfied smile on her face.

"This is it? I wasn't expecting a whole village." Tyranitar looked around, his mouth open.

Over a large area in the shallow valley were crude structures fashioned from cut chunks of sod to form abodes, while some were hollowed mounds of earth. Flowering berry bushes and edible plants grew from wherever a path or house did not stand. A clearing in the middle served as the commons and bartering area. A few sturdier stone structures stood opposite, near the top of the next rolling hill, which housed this hamlet's more prominent members, and the leader himself.

Bisharp and Tyranitar stood about three hundred feet from the nearest grassy mound, and on the various pathways pokémon shuffled about in the late spring afternoon. The two commanders remained unnoticed, and they followed the trodden grass toward the settlement.

Bisharp nodded and said, "It's impressive, this quaint place. You'd think fairies would live here, not a gang."

"Is that the aesthetic he was going for?" Tyranitar asked.

"Maybe, maybe not. But I see why the dragons avoided coming here."

"It's like Hatterene's place, minus the mushrooms," Tyranitar said, catching the eye of one of the residents. The pokémon was a muscular gurdurr, who probably operated as a contractor for the many buildings erected. The pokémon watched the two commanders for a half a minute more, and then he turned around and went into the interior of the settlement.

"We've been spotted," Tyranitar said.

"You're tall, no surprise there."

The commanders passed the first mound and reached the proper path. It was made of gravel and not dirt, which satisfied Tyranitar. "Somehow they hauled this here," the dinosaur-like pokémon said.

"I bet the crags supplied it. All they need to do is cross the bridge and go southwest, and there they are."

On the path ahead a groggy zigzagoon walked across and disappeared behind a sod house. Soon after a linoone bounded after him. They appeared to be heading to the commons.

"It might be suppertime," Tyranitar said. "The homes are empty."

"Or, there are two strong unknown pokémon prowling the streets," Bisharp countered. "Gossiping galore commence."

The duo turned left at the sod house to see the commons down the street. Already a large assembly of pokémon gathered there. It was unclear if they were concerned about the two outsiders or if it truly was time for them to eat.

"So, they think there's safety in numbers. Useful for later," Bisharp observed.

As the two approached the common grounds, the commanders discovered that the assembled pokémon were not eating or fazed by their appearance. The commanders heard a male, slightly raspy voice speaking to the pokémon. Looking at the pokémon, from the zigzagoon, to the crogunk, to the scraggy, and to the yamper, all were young.

Since the commons were on a hill, the young pokémon sat or reclined on the low end and the speaker on the higher one. Tyranitar and Bisharp exchanged glances as they witnessed the malicious looking speaker, and leader of the gang, telling the young pokémon a story.

"That's the leader?" Tyranitar asked. "I thought he'd be more… threatening."

Bisharp resisted a snigger. "Last thing I expected him to be doing."

The leader of the gang was the often-notorious reptilian pokémon scrafty, and this one was telling a bunch of engrossed youngsters a fairy tale. He perched on a tree stump, his hands on his lap, using them intermittently to act out an event in the story. His voice carried down to the onlookers as he declared, "The strong lucario and his loyal cutiefly friend were seconds away from engaging with the terror of the land, the dread haxorous!" He raised his hands for dramatic effect and looked at the listening crowd. The scrafty noticed the two newcomers and studied them for several seconds each. Nonetheless, he continued, "However, the foolhardy dragon impeded their progress by blocking his den with his two respected accomplices, the blade-wielding bisharp and sturdy, strong tyranitar!"

The young pokémon didn't notice the two pokémon in question standing behind them. Their mouths were opened in awe as they were eager to listen to the rest of the tale. Scrafty jerked his head dismissively and said, " 'Hmph! Like you two can best me, a fighting type! I'll do him in, I will,' Lucario told the Tyranitar, 'and I'll whip her rear end too!' Cutiefly smiled in kind at her friend, and said, 'Like I fear dragons or dark-types. With Lucario we'll overcome anything in our path!' "

Tyranitar shook his head and asked, "Don't your kind not get along with haxorous?"

Bisharp fumed, "Yes, but it ain't the point he's making. He's saying he'll take us both out and our boss!"

Tyranitar understood her and then projected his voice over the young listeners, "Oh, excuse me, you pipsqueak! You'll learn to respect us and our boss!"

The young pokémon turned around and saw the two newcomers. Their faces scrunched and their eyes narrowed. One of the pokémon, an eevee, said, "I want to listen to the rest of the story! Shh!"

"Bite your tongue, little boy," Bisharp said in a sickly-sweet voice, her head held high.

"You're not in charge here," a voice said from behind the commanders. "I can discipline my son myself." The two pokémon turned and saw a black pokémon with yellow bands, an umbreon, leering at them. Flanking him was the gurdurr Tyranitar saw earlier. Beside the muscular pokémon was a stick-wielding monkey pokémon, thwackey, and gripping his right arm was a female scraggy. She and Thwackey mirrored Umbreon's expression.

The storyteller noticed the confrontation and then suggested to the crowd, "Why not we take a break and let our guests join us? Hungry pokémon are apt to anger. Let's eat!"

The four pokémon near the commanders hissed and babbled in approval. Tyranitar and Bisharp felt sideswiped and stood there, unsure what to make of the sudden change. From the number of pokémon approaching the commons, Bisharp surmised that this feast was timed for their arrival.

"You two going to move or stay slack-jawed?" the scraggy asked them, who remained attached to the thwackey.

"Shut up, little runt," Tyranitar threatened.

"Oh, you're scared my son can kick your ass. Like he told you, he ain't worried about you or your boss."

Tyranitar was going to retort, but Bisharp cut him off. "You're Scrafty's mother?"

The scraggy rolled her eyes. "Duh. I'm the mother of all other scraggy here."

The thwackey squeezed her free hand that wasn't holding up her skin. "Sunny, tell them no more."

"Hey, you two." It was Scrafty, who was surrounded by four of his unevolved siblings and a linoone. "Join us at the long table. Mum, relax, don't trip over your skin about this."

"All right, Sweet." Her glare lingered on the commanders as the thwackey, probably her mate, escorted her away from the two taller pokémon to the opposite end of the commons. Scrafty beckoned the commanders and youngsters they followed him up the hill.

"Weird…" Tyrantiar commented as he watched the couple. "His mother should be evolved by now."

"She should," Bisharp said with disdain. "There's nothing stupider than remaining a weakling, with your child stronger than you."

On the highest end of the commons a few pokémon were shuffling about to distribute food and eager pokémon took the servings to the stone tables erected on the sides of the commons, provided their anatomy allowed them to sit on the low benches. Most of the quadruped pokémon preferred to group together and they ate their meal from the ground or upon wooden plates if they could carry them.

Since the commanders needed to speak to Scrafty, they had to abide by his directions and take a meal. The two pokémon traveled far, and although they were hungry, they didn't expect this hamlet's leader to offer such hospitality. They got in line to grab their grub. Most of the villagers gawked at them dubiously, but a few greeted them in passing. Tyranitar looked at his stoic partner and shrugged, chuckling.

"They are very comfortable here," Bisharp said as she took the arrokuda and iron-rich greens she was offered. Tyranitar got a helping of bulk iron ore— as he was a mountain dweller and ate the rock and soil for its many minerals.

"Four-star fare," Tyranitar gasped as he examined the rusty rocks he had been given. "Do they keep this stuff on tap?"

Bisharp and Tyranitar left the line and walked toward the table Scrafty told them to eat at. The leader himself was busy serving many of his siblings. The commanders counted seven scraggy near him, and numerous other youngsters flocked to him.

"He's got more charisma than any other scrafty I've seen," Bisharp said as the commanders took their seats at the high end of the table. Many of the other pokémon around already began to eat, so there wasn't an etiquette, not that they expected it in a village lead by a scrafty. The commanders dug into their feast.

The two outsiders thought that they were to get the cold shoulder, but to their surprise a pretty lilligant took a seat close to Bisharp. Opposite her a togetic flew over to sit down with a helping of assorted berries on his plate. Tyranitar recoiled at the proximity he was to the fairy-type, and he looked at Bisharp like he'd been offended. Not only did Scrafty tell fairy tales, but the very subjects also lived here too.

"So, have you two ever been to the plains?" Lilligant asked sweetly, looking at Tyranitar and then at Bisharp.

"First time," Tyranitar said curtly as he chewed his ore.

"Same here." Bisharp said. She was a bit less surprised than Tyranitar and knew that she could use this opportunity to probe for information. "You've always lived here?"

"No," the flowering pokémon said. "I came from the nearby forest."

Togetic chimed in and said, "I'm from the west plains, by the sea."

Tyranitar looked miffed that Togetic spoke without being asked, but his mouth was preoccupied with food, so he couldn't say anything lest he embarrass himself. He hastily finished his bite and asked, "So, he's not going to eat? Scrafty, I mean."

"Oh, he serves everyone first so he can eat in peace after the whole ordeal. Feeding this many pokémon is a big task," Togetic said.

"How much have you grown in recent four-seasons?" Bisharp asked between a mouthful of fish.

"A plenty," Lilligant said. "We've flourished. It's a blessing. Just look at Togetic and there's the evidence."

Bisharp instead scrutinized Lilligant. Lilligant's flower wasn't open, so the steel blade pokémon wondered if their circumstances were as prosperous as Lilligant claimed. Yet, Bisharp wasn't sure if it opened during a certain time of the four-season, but it was spring, and the rest of the flora in town was blossoming.

"Before Scrafty and his friends," Togetic started, "This place was unwelcoming and cold. There were only the stone homes from what I heard. Now it's cozy." The pokémon smiled.

Bisharp and Tyranitar continued to chow down as their company did the same. Bisharp was overcome with a question suddenly. "Who was present here before?" she asked, but her question went unanswered as their acquaintances were already interacting with the umbreon that they encountered earlier. He brought over several of his eevee runts and an espeon that had to be his mate. Togetic and Lilligant didn't finish what was on their plates as they gushed over how adorable the eevee were.

Bisharp sighed as she knew their attention had been lost. She had a nagging hunch that umbreon distracted his fellow villagers on purpose because they were revealing too much.

Tyranitar leaned over the table and whispered, "I see now an assault would have been difficult."

"Told you," Bisharp smirked as she enjoyed the small victory.

Tyranitar noticed during the meal that the breed of pokémon here might pose a problem for their goal. They had many fighting-types for intimidation, fairy-types to quell dragons, grass-types for gardeners, psychic-types for healers, and naturally dark-types as their backbone. All the fighting-types and fairy-types might pose a problem. They had but few in the mountain and the dragons and dark types were wary of letting too many of either type in.

The gang leader finally approached the table with his food just as the commanders were finishing their last bites. Upon the leader's plate was some dissected bug-type pokémon— probably a grubbin, as well as a cluster of mixed greens. Bisharp noted this, which meant all members of the leader's evolutionary family ate bugs and plants. Naturally many of the villagers longed to get close and speak to him, which allowed her to tell her observations to her partner. She smiled as an idea erupted into her mind.

"What's up?" Tyranitar asked as he watched her eyes following Scrafty's plate. He took an unoccupied seat in the middle of the table, so he and his nagging villagers couldn't hear them unless they got closer.

"They eat a lot of fish, plants, bugs, and berries," she said. "We might be able to starve them."

"They grow most of their food here," Tyranitar mentioned.

"But these fighting-types…take away their proteins, and they're done for."

"Ahh…" Tyranitar agreed.

"So, a good place to start would be removing the bridge at the river."

Tyranitar's eyes shone with a sadistic delight. "We'd pretty much cut them off from the west plains!"

Bisharp kicked Tyranitar from under the table. "Not so loud," she chastised. She faced Tyranitar, but her eyes rolled to the top of the hill. Tyranitar took a nonchalant glance down the table at Scrafty and looked toward the top of the hill before he returned to Bisharp.

"See the pokémon on the lip of the stone house there?" she asked, pretending to inspect her arm blades.

"Yeah. She's chilling up there… she looks like a fairy to me."

"She is… a ribombee. Which tells me an awful lot about him—" she turned her head toward Scrafty.

"What have you gathered?"

"He planned this. The story he told the runts was about a lucario and a cutiefly, which that thing evolved from."

"But he isn't a lucario," Tyranitar pointed out, chuckling.

This earned a smirk from Bisharp. "Well… he might rather be one. I mean he's not much to look at."

"That would explain his mother then," Tyranitar said without a thought.

Bisharp nodded, her eyes bulging. "And that is probably the reason she hasn't evolved."

Scrafty shifted from his place at the table. He left his plate behind, but hastily a male indeedee approached and retrieved it. The empty plates before Tyranitar and Bisharp glowed with an indigo aura before they levitated toward the butler-like pokémon to collect. Backing him up was a cinccino who swept any food remains from the table and benches.

"Efficient," Bisharp approved, watching at how fast the cleanup was performed.

The youngsters surrounded Scrafty again, their big eyes expectant. The eevee that Bisharp told off earlier asked him, "Sweet, can you continue your story now?" The youngsters roared assent.

Scrafty said, "Give me ten minutes and then I will."

The youngsters headed toward the lower end of the commons and Scrafty waved away any other hangers-on as he approached the commanders. "Hey, you two. Enjoy your food?"

"Yes, we did," Bisharp said, wanting to get down to business. "Now let us talk in private."

"Follow me," he said, heading toward the stone house ribombee had perched on earlier. She since disappeared. Scrafty didn't seem affected by Bisharp's urgency as he whistled as he walked, his hands lightly gripping his loose skin. Tyranitar was indignant that the little scoundrel wasn't taking them seriously. He smiled as he figured he'd get his just deserts soon enough for being foolish.

Scrafty led them into the stone shelter. It showed no signs of habitation other than a splintered wooden table and two stone benches on either side. The building featured no door and the sole window opposite of the entry lacked shutters. A lingering scent of smoke and the blackened areas on the rough stones and mortar suggested this site had been devastated by fire. The roof consisted of fresh mismatched timber, bark still on, thrown across the top. The two commanders took a seat on the bench closest to the exit and expected Scrafty to sit opposite. Instead, he spun around to leave. He told the commanders, "I've made a promise, and I've got to attend to that first."

"What?" Tyranitar said, standing up. Scrafty smirked at them as he left.

Bisharp turned around but remained sitting. She sighed and then crossed her arms.

"C'mon," Tyranitar said as he started toward the exit. "Damn you little rascal…"

Bisharp shook her head as Tyranitar prepared to leave the structure only to be stopped by Gurdurr and Ribombee at the threshold.

"The children are far more important than you," Gurdurr retorted. "Relax. Scrafty don't need more pokémon tailing him."

"Sit down," Ribombee said simply, which angered him more than what Gurdurr had said.

Bisharp rose and she approached Tyranitar. "Don't," she warned.

"How long is he going to make us wait?" Tyranitar demanded.

"Even I don't know friend," Ribombee said. "Whenever that story is done being told."

"That can be hours!" Tyranitar hollered. "I can't believe we came here to wait on some loser's storytelling time!"

"Tyranitar," Bisharp repeated, her voice higher this time.

"You're seriously not angered by this?" he asked her.

"Of course, I'm peeved, but don't let them provoke you into fighting them. We'll fail to get our chance to talk at all. Then everything will be a total waste."

Tyranitar took his anger out on Bisharp by shoving her away and returning to the table to sit down. He then stood and grabbed the table as if to toss it, but Bisharp anticipated this and she grabbed his arms, the higher portion of her blades cutting into his rocky skin. "Don't," she spat. "He wants us pissed. Don't let him make you into a fool."

Tyranitar looked her in the eye and he grunted, crashing down upon the bench. Bisharp thought he would break that, but it held his weight without issue. He turned around on the bench so his body was facing the entrance. "Hey, you two out there," he hollered at the pokémon who were standing guard outside. "Get us some water while we wait."

Gurdurr walked into the building, his arms crossed and forehead wrinkled. "We don't take your commands."

"May we have two cups of water?" Bisharp asked politely.

"Of course," Gurdurr said, leaving the shelter.

Bisharp gave Tyranitar a slight shake of her head. She decided to ask her companion about a curiosity that bothered her regarding their mission. She whispered, "I wonder who tipped our boss off about this place."

"Does it matter?" Tyranitar growled, vexed that he wasn't obeyed like he was back home.

"Yes. The informant's a reliable source," Bisharp said. "He might be who used to run this joint."

Tyranitar shrugged. "I was minding my business on the mountainside three four-seasons ago. I didn't care what goes on here in the boonies."

Bisharp resisted rolling her eyes and said, "I gather the boss is impressed by him, and might give him a good position for his reconnaissance."

Tyranitar snapped out of his mood and asked, "Will we have another commander soon?"

Bisharp's face fell. "I'd rather not. The boss not telling me his identity worries me."

"As long as he's no kiss ass I don't care," Tyranitar said.

"I hope he's no ambitious bastard," Bisharp said, and Tyranitar concurred with a nod. "Scrafty knows. He was here to oust the old lord."

Tyranitar gazed outside, appearing contemplative. He said, "Scrafty would have the upper hand against dark-types, ghosts, and psychics. All those types pack a different set of surprises."

Bisharp said, "True. Yet, whoever this was, Scrafty needed some help. Hell, the pokémon might have been a fairy-type for all we know. But an intelligent leader indicates a psychic or a dark-type."

Tyranitar laughed. "Tooting our own horns, huh?"

"Well, we are—" Bisharp began, but once Gurdurr returned to the room with the two clay cups, she became silent.

He offered the cups to the pokémon. Tyranitar took his without a word. Bisharp smiled at the pokémon and said, "I appreciate it."

The muscular pokémon nodded at Bisharp but he ignored Tyranitar as he exited the shelter to stand guard again. Tyranitar swirled the water around in his cup and said, "I wonder if they put anything in here."

"Like poison?" Bisharp asked. She snorted and said, "It won't affect me."

Tyranitar sighed and then snarled, "When is this little thug coming back?"

"Relax," Bisharp said, taking a sip from her cup.

"Like can't we do something besides just sit here?"

"Drink water," Bisharp suggested, her tone hinting annoyance. "You requested it, and maybe it'll cool you down for our conversation. Although if he takes much longer, I'll consider making this rock a whetstone." She looked at the bench and patted it like it were a faithful pet.

"Oi, I hear talking." Tyranitar said, perking up. "Finally."

Bisharp readjusted so her legs were positioned under the table. "That's Scrafty's voice too," she said.

Scrafty talked to his friends outside briefly and then he walked inside and took a seat opposite them. Tyranitar shifted to face the ruffian. The two commanders opened their mouths to speak, but Scrafty silenced them with a wave of his hand. "No need for haste. Unless you got a hot date." Bisharp cringed as she looked at Tyranitar.

Scrafty smiled and said, "Are you impressed by our gentrification?"

"It's… unexpected," Tyranitar said.

"And that is something you must always expect," Scrafty said, crossing his arms, looking smug. "I've gathered a great team since we took over."

"Who was here, then?" Bisharp asked, a bit too expectantly.

Scrafty's gaze lingered on her as he caught her urgency. He deflected them and said, "Everyone around here knows. How don't you?"

"We live in and around the mountain," Tyranitar grumbled. "We didn't care what was going on beyond there and the forest."

"Yet now you're here." Scrafty said with a shake of his head. "What changed?"

"Our territory is getting closer to yours," Bisharp said. "We've come as ambassadors with a proposition for you."

"Which is?" Scrafty asked, his caution elevated like he expected a trap.

"The strengthening and development of all lands and pokémon upon Galar," Bisharp declared, like she had rehearsed this phrase many times. "Then we can cross the channel and expand our rule to Kalos!"

Scrafty deadpanned. "We're doing the former as we speak and I've no interest in the latter. Nor do I feel that your lord has the best interest of every pokémon in mind. Why isn't he personally greeting other acknowledged leaders? Not like he can't fly."

"Training his subordinates is more important to him," Tyranitar said.

Scrafty rolled his eyes. "Shouldn't that be your job?" He sighed and said, "Look, I know what this is about, and I've known you were coming since this morning. Listen carefully, don't misunderstand me: I'd rather visit Giratina than join up with Hydreigon."

"So, you'd rather choose death," Bisharp said. "We thought you'd say so."

"Then why come here and ask?" Scrafty asked, chuckling.

"We're interested in who was your old landlord. You had to kick him out."

"Huh. My friends told me they heard you debating this." Scrafty rested a hand on his chin. "Why should I tell you? If your boss likes him, you'll meet him soon. Although, you've proper reason to be circumspect, especially you, miss Bisharp."

Tyranitar stood and hollered, "Spit it out. You're beating around the bush!"

"Is he a dark-type like us?" Bisharp asked, pulling fuming Tyranitar back down to the bench. "I see you have fairies living with you."

"Fairies keep out pesky dragons," Scrafty said, not answering her question. He looked down at Bisharp's arm blades for a moment, and then at her partner.

"But you have similar qualities to dragons," Bisharp pointed out.

Scrafty waved his hand. "A long time ago we were true kin," he said. "And you are related to my old enemy."

Bisharp leaned in toward Scrafty, her arm blades taking superficial shavings up from the wooden table. "Enough of the games. Tell us."

Scrafty turned up his hands and shrugged. "Since I don't want you to mug a child in a dark alley and ask him, the old proprietor here used to be a gallade."

"Whoa," Tyranitar gasped, his eyes darting to Bisharp. He nodded. "Can't blame you for kicking him out. They all feel entitled and holier-than-thou."

"I see why you had trouble," Bisharp related. "He couldn't have been alone."

"He wasn't, but his group was small and hard to attack. They fought irregularly, striking and retreating. My buddies and I ousted them—"

Bisharp cut Scrafty off and said directly, "Gallade don't fight like that."

Tyranitar concurred and added, "They make self-imposed conducts prohibiting that, right? What do they call them? Codes of…"

"Chivalry," Bisharp completed. "They wouldn't retreat unless they know they're defeated. That's even if they decide to do that."

Scrafty grunted, "They also make rules about not causing deliberate harm to innocents. Now why would he ask a violent dragon for help?"

"Since our boss returns land to their rightful owners," Tyranitar declared.

Scrafty chuckled and said, "That gallade never lived here to begin with."

"You're making no sense," Bisharp burst. "Why would he cause trouble? Aren't they sensitive to negative emotions?" She pointed and glared at the village leader. "That is if you are telling the truth. Gallade aren't common. You'd have an easier time blaming a gardevoir."

"Has it dawned upon you that this guy isn't normal?" Scrafty asked. "He's a bad egg that was dropped too many times."

Bisharp prompted, "I'd believe you… if it were any pokémon decides gardevoir and gallade, who are staunch altruists."

Scrafty leaned back and asked, "So what's that make you?"

Scrafty interrupted Bisharp's repartee. Her mouth remained open as she tied to conjure something to counter the gang leader's reply.

"We are of similar caliber," Tyranitar said, but there was too much distance between his response and what Scrafty said to persuade the leader they were truthful.

"Your noble ruse is a farce," Scrafty said. "I don't trust you, and this entire meeting is highly suspect."

Bisharp asked, "Who's the real pokémon that ruled here?"

"Still gallade. I'm not playing," Scrafty snarled. The orange lizard raised his voice. "Gurdurr, Ribombee, come in a second."

Gurdurr stomped into the stone chamber and Ribombee flew in quietly. "What is it?" Gurdurr asked.

"Gallade held these lands three four-seasons ago, correct?" Scrafty asked.

The two pokémon concurred with a nod. Ribombee said, "Ignore the tales of knightly self-sacrifice when considering this one. He's nasty."

Bisharp shook her head. "If you aren't lying, then why? How'd he end up as you claim?"

Scrafty admitted, "I never understood his problem. His nature is to be a protector, not an aggressor. He has no sense of duty, and no remorse toward those he harms. This guy must be out of touch… or out of his mind."

Tyranitar asked, "Sure he isn't an imposter— a ditto?"

Scrafty produced a half-hearted laugh. "I fought him personally, so no, he's not. Heck, a normal one here would be beneficial. Might be useful with meal prep and avoid this." He pointed at the charred walls. His gaze became distant as he recalled the past. "He showed up one day and things went south fast. I can't blame the natives here for trusting him."

"You aren't a native either?" Bisharp asked.

Scrafty shook his head. "My family is originally from the side of the crags closer to Lapras Lake. I never lived there, though. Not interested in moving either."

"So Gallade just showed up here one day?" Bisharp asked. "Sounds as fake as his tales," she said, her eyes darting to Tyranitar's. The dinosaur-like pokémon grunted, but he looked as though he believed what the village leader told them. She frowned at Scrafty, who offered no suggestions upon his complexion to indicate he was joking.

"It's not," Gurdurr replied from behind them, his hands on his midsection to make himself appear larger. "He drifts around since no sane member of his evolutionary line wants him. And now he's done the same with you. He's gone to your neck of the woods, just one day like us, out of the blue."

Ribombee's small, soft voice chimed in, "It's nothing surprising, really. He can teleport. Some of the pokémon here occasionally detect his foul aura."

She looked at her arms and sighed. "I forgot they can," she said, her stoic self-assurance diminishing.