19th Red Ash Moon, 908, Copper Bluff—Night

Monroe remained mostly silent throughout the workday, only ever talking when he interacted with a customer. He couldn't find the interest to finish his book or…anything, really. He just wasn't in the mood.

He placed a hand over his stomach, feeling the large bruise that had developed hours ago. He felt pathetic for submitting so easily to Vitus. Nothing would've made him happier than to clobber the smug Chesnaught upside the jaw and break his arms for everything he and his gang done to their family.

…But he knew he couldn't. He knew he couldn't put his parents in danger.

He felt so useless letting the Dead Men Soldiers walk all over them, but the consequences were too great to ignore. Anyone who fights back against the gang will get a personal visit from the boss himself. That was the last thing anyone in town wanted.

The Granbull leaned back in his chair, his thoughts trickling back to the days his sister was still around. How they would run the shop together, how'd she have to fix his mistakes whenever he tried to sew, how'd he tease her for struggling with math; those were simpler times even under the oppressive rule. He missed those simpler days.

Being an adult was…a drag.

He sighed and covered his eyes. Dammit, Adenine. Why?

"Sweetie?" He moved his hand away as his parents entered the main room. Pearl frowned at her son. "Are ya okay? Ya've been quieter than usual all day."

"…Ah'm fine, Ma. Really."

Doc crossed his arms. "Ah know that look, son. Did somethin' happen earlier?"

Monroe straightened up in his chair. "Ah said it's nothin'. Just a little incident with DMS earlier. Ah gave them to the taxes."

Doc sighed. "Ya were thinkin' of beatin' him to a pulp."

"Just like every other day."

He approached his son and patted his arm. "Ah know it's rough, but we'll get through. Ya got to hold heart that some good will turn around."

Monroe scoffed. "Ah've stopped believin' in fairy tales when Ah learned to do math. Ah know how bad our financial situation is. All because those rats think we need they're protection."

Pearl sighed. "As much as Ah hate this, they do keep the Outlands from encroachin' on our little patch of land."

"Only because our benevolent rulers decided we were a lost cause." Monroe growled. "What Ah wouldn't give to walk up to King Tetrarch and break his jaw."

Doc shook his head. "Curb those violent thoughts, son. They'll only make the pain worse. Mah generation always believed in persevering through adversity. Y'all just need to grip tight of hope, and some good may come to the world."

"Ah wouldn't bet mah legs on it."

Pearl sighed. "It's gettin' mighty late. Pa and Ah will close up shop for the day. Why don't ya go check up on Serell and Linota? Tell them we're just havin' bread and leftovers for dinner."

"…Sure." Monroe got up from his chair and dragged his feet to the stairs.

Doc sighed. "Ah worry about that boy sometimes."

Pearl shook her head. "Ya know how he gets. He's always been the bold one of the family."


Serell and Linota sat on the floor of the guest room with all of Linota's findings piled between them. Every little thing Linota found on the incident from the event to the outcome lay before them, and they grew increasingly concerned over the details.

"I…I'm still having trouble processing all of this," Serell said, picking up an old newspaper clipping. "Maybe it's a different Adenine Brennan."

Linota glared. "And here we thought the Forester controversy was going to be our biggest hurdle. The girl's been flat out accused of murder. That's not something you can just brush under the rug."

Serell shrugged. "Well, to be fair, it's not like she killed anyone important."

"I think you're missing the point."

"I'm not! Come on, if this was a noble we were talking about, sure. But it's just some thug from a gang strongarming these people into paying for a protection racket. If anything, some parts of Senbo would rule it as self-defense."

"She still committed a serious crime, not that I necessarily care for the people she tried to rob." Linota sighed. "This still places doubts on Adenine's character. The king and queen were concerned about her being a security risk, and this just proves Adenine is willing to do horrible things in her own self-interest. I just can't imagine that sweet girl murdering another creature."

"Any idea why she would in the first place?"

"I can only imagine it was for the money. The Brennans claim they've been living like this for years, so it makes sense Adenine would try to rob the gang and lessen their burden." She closed her eyes and sighed. "How are we going to explain this to Erasmus?"

"We could lie and spare him the truth."

"He'll know."

"…It was just a suggestion."

Linota shook her head. "We've done our part. We might as well pack up and set out in the morrow. We'll figure out what to say to him when we—"

The guestroom door swung open, startling the duo. Monroe lazily walked in, scratching at his nape. "Hey, ya two. Just lettin' ya know we're havin' leftovers tonight and—"

Silence filled the room as both parties stared at each other in tense shock. Monroe's eyes drifted down to the pile of documents and papers, some of which with bold wording that the Granbull could easily read. The knights felt a chill run up their spines as Monroe's expression shifted from surprise to confusion to rage. He tightened his fists which trembled from the fury being held back.

"Where…did ya find these?"

Serell and Linota shared a look. "Uhhhhh…"

"Do something," Linota whispered.

"Um…" Serell gulped and grinned nervously at the snarling Granbull. "Has anyone ever told you that you look attractive when you scowl?"

The knights were instantly grabbed by the collar and dragged out of the guestroom.

Linota glared. "Seriously?!"

"I panicked!"


Serell and Linota had been forced into chairs with Monroe pointing a dagger at them. He snarled over the two knights while his parents looked on in concern. The fact they weren't freaking out over their son holding their employees at knife point told them this wasn't the first time he reacted like this.

"Alright, start talkin'," Monroe growled. "Who are ya? Why are ya here? Why are ya lookin' into information on mah sister? Are ya actually with DMS?!"

Linota raised her hands. "Calm down! We're not associated with those jerks."

"Th-This is just a huge misunderstanding, we swear," Serell assured between whimpers.

Pearl cautiously approached her son and touched his arm. "Monroe, sweetie, put the dagger down. Look at them, and tell me if these are really DMS gang members."

"…" Monroe closed his eyes and turned away. "That still doesn't explain why they were rootin' into Adenine's history. How did ya even get those files?"

Linota looked away awkwardly. "We may have stolen them from the archives."

Before Monroe could turn the dagger back onto them, Doc pushed his son back. "Alright, that's enough out of ya. Stand down, boy!"

"But Pa—"

"Now!"

"…" Monroe slunk back and walked behind the front counter to cool off.

Doc sighed and faced the duo. "Ah'm mighty sorry about that. Monroe's rather protective of the family, and he can get a little testy when he smells danger." He frowned. "Still, Ah can't say Ah disagree with his suspicions. How'd y'all even come across this knowledge?"

Serell glanced at Linota. "Should we tell them?"

She sighed. "There's no avoiding it anymore."

"Avoidin' what?" Pearl asked.

Linota straightened up and glared at the Brennans. "We may have restricted a few truths regarding our visit here. We're not drifters. We're actually knights from the Senbo Kingdom."

Doc's eyes widened. "Knights? Senbo?"

Monroe glared. "Ah thought there was somethin' off about ya two."

Serell nodded. "We came here under orders of our prince regarding an incident that took place a couple months ago. Have you heard anything about an ambush on Castle Talbot carried out by the Foresters?"

Pearl nodded slowly. "We've heard whispers of it, yes."

Linota sighed. "This might be a bit hard to understand, but we're investigating Adenine Brennan in regards to her association with the Foresters and the attack orchestrated against the castle and Prince Dimitri Talbot."

"…" The Brennans looked at each other.

Serell raised his hands. "Now, we know that's a huge accusation to make right off the bat, but we assure you that—"

"We already know she's a Forester," Monroe interrupted.

The knights' eyes widened. "You WHAT?!"

Doc sighed. "That girl would be hard-pressed to find somewhere to hunker down after she left, but she keeps in regular contact with us. She didn't mince words about her current arrangements, and we didn't care so long as she had a roof over her head and food in her belly."

Pearl wiped her eyes into her sleeve. "We didn't know where she was for some time, so it brought us relief when she finally wrote back. Ah was happier than a Heracross in a Combee hive when she told us about the friends she made. Mah baby wasn't all alone without her parents to care for her."

Linota frowned. "How much…do you know about the fiasco in Senbo?"

Monroe shrugged. "Just the odd word about it gettin' light up in a surprise ambush. And the assassination thin', Ah guess."

"That's…it?"

"About so. Why?"

Serell and Linota shared the same expression. The Brennans didn't know about Prince Erasmus' secret relationship with Adenine. Best to keep that little detail to themselves for the time being.

"So, ya're sayin' our daughter was at the party?" Doc asked.

Serell nodded. "She was one of the confirmed suspects among the Foresters, yes. Understand we didn't come here to accuse her of malintent. There have been some recent suspicions that the Foresters were set up in Prince Dimitri's attempt assassination, though no hard evidence has been produced."

Pearl sighed. "Poor dear. Ah hope she's eatin' well."

"We only came here to look into Adenine's criminal history, if she had any." Linota turned away with a frown. "And…I guess you already know what we discovered."

The Brennans hung their heads, their expressions turning somber.

"Mah poor baby was ran out of town so suddenly. We barely had time to voice our goodbyes," Pearl mumbled.

Serell leaned forward. "I just don't get it. Adenine doesn't seem like the type of person to…take another life. Was life here really that bad that even she snapped—"

"Don't get yer history twisted, feather brains," Monroe growled. "Mah sister was one of the kindest, most generous souls on this side of the Wick Kingdom. Any talk of slander on her good name won't sit without a fight from me!"

Linota glared. "What do you mean about twisted history?"

"…" Monroe closed his eyes and sighed. "That newspaper ya found didn't tell the real story. That's the story Adenine created before she was ran out of town."

"The story she created?" Serell asked.

"Monroe…" Pearl called to with concern.

He ignored her and leaned back against the counter, juggling his dagger in hand. "If anyone should be called a murderer, it'd be the varmint who started this whole mess."


Year 903

It was another typical morning at the Brennan Tailor Shoppe. Doc and Pearl went out to do some shopping at the markets while Adenine and Monroe tended to the shop. Monroe managed the front desk as per usual while Adenine went about sweeping up the floors.

Monroe raised his brow at his sister as she hummed a merry tune to herself, performing little dances here and there. She practically had her head in the clouds.

"Ah wasn't aware sweepin' was such a whimsical experience," he commented. "That broom yer dance partner for a big hoedown?"

She spun around and stuck her tongue at him. "Yer snark will not ruin mah good mood, dear brother."

"What's got ya all fluttery anyway?"

She giggled. "Oh, nothin' special. Just lookin' forward to seeing our relatives in Senbo. Same ol', same ol'."

Monroe smirked. "Mah little sister's become quite the city girl. First time we went to Senbo, ya were tremblier than a Growlithe handwashed through a river in the Winter Moon. Ah hope ya won't be comin' back one day talkin' all fancy-like."

She rolled her eyes. "Perish the thought, oh dearest brother of mine~!" she accentuated in a posh accent.

"Dear Arceus Almighty, Ah'm too late." He shook his head. "Ya know, Ah'm curious. What's so exciting about Senbo that ye're jumpin' off the walls to catch the next carriage out of here?" He rolled his eyes. "Not that Ah blame ya, what with the shithole this place has become."

Adenine leaned against her broom and giggled a bit more sheepishly. "Oh, there's just…so much to see in the city compared to the country that a fresh change of pace was in order."

"Ya hate crowds, though."

"Ahem, yes…well, Ah do mah best to avoid them when Ah can."

"…" Monroe glared. "Alright, who is he?"

"GAH!" Adenine tripped forward over her broom and collapsed onto her face. She scrambled back on her feet, her face and skin turning beet red. "W-What?!"

"Don't play dumb with me, sis. Our relatives aren't that excitin'. Y'all been sneakin' away to see a boy, haven't ya?"

She turned her back to him and whistled innocently. "Ah have no idea what ya're talkin' about."

"Well, maybe Ah should tag along with ya. Been a while since Ah've seen our relatives mahself."

She flinched. "Oh, well…the thin' is, Ah much prefer to see them alone and—"

"Definitely a boy."

"Sh-Shush! It's not a boy, Ah swear!"

Monroe glared. "Oh yeah, Ah'm definitely comin' along. If someone's courtin' mah little sister, best Ah introduce mahself." He pulled out his dagger and stabbed it into the counter. "Country hospitality and all that."

"M-MONROE!"

"What? Just a gift Ah want to show yer boyfriend."

"Ah don't have a boyfriend, Ah promise!"

"Should Ah bring some of Ma's chili? Ah could lace it with poison if he starts treatin' ya poorly."

Adenine crouched onto the floor and whined. "Why are ya like this?"!

He smirked. "Is that confirmation Ah hear?"

"Ah'm not dignifyin' that with a response!"

"Ya're so easy to tease, ya know that?"

Before Adenine could retaliate, something caught their ears. They heard a scuffle taking place outside, and not too far away from the shop. Their eyes widened in concern when they heard the distinct shout of a woman, one that rang familiarity in their ears.

"Ma?!" The siblings raced for the door.


The Brennan siblings burst out the front door to find their parents a few meters away, and they weren't alone. A small group of Pokémon wearing ragged clothes stood before them. Aside from their manner of dress, the siblings recognized the white bandanas around their necks with the signature 'DMS' written across them.

Among them was a Chesnaught and a Toedscruel. Leading their small band of troublemakers was a Hitmontop, who was holding Doc by the collar. He playfully traced his knife along the older Kecleon's cheek while glaring at him in disappointment.

"Come now, Mr. Brennan. You and I both know we were coming by to collect taxes. You shouldn't look this surprised."

Doc clenched his teeth. "P-Please. Ah'll give ya the money, but just don't hurt mah wife or children."

The Hitmontop let him go and patted some dust off his shoulders. "Mr. Brennan, you're acting like we're uncivilized folk. We're providing a generous service to keep your beautiful town safe from the real monsters. It's just that some services aren't cheap." He leaned uncomfortably close to the Kecleon. "You wouldn't want anything bad happening just because we couldn't fight on empty stomachs, right?"

Doc could only grumble a response as he dug out some coins from his pouch. "Ah don't have that much on me, but—"

The Hitmontop swiped the coins and his pouch. "Hmm, it's not much, but I suppose I'll be generous and let it slide." He pocketed the coins and started scratching under his chin with the knife. "Though, I suppose some compensation is required to make up for this shortage."

Before Doc could ask, the Chesnaught rushed toward Pearl and swatted the groceries out of her arms, spilling the food across the sandy ground. "Our food!" Pearl gasped. She dropped down and tried to salvage as much as she could.

The Hitmontop sheathed his dagger and sighed. "Perhaps that'll teach you to have the money ready. Just a suggestion, otherwise your lovely home may be next on the collection pile—"

"That's about enough!" The thugs finally acknowledged Monroe's presence as he marched in between his father and the Hitmontop. He pointed his dagger at the thug and said, "Rough up mah folks one more time, and Ah'll shove this up yer hindquarters like one of yer fancy corkscrews!"

Hitmontop grinned. "Monroe Brennan."

Monroe snarled. "Consus."

"How lovely to see you today. Still wasting your talents in that dingy shop? The boss could use someone with your unappreciated genius. In fact, we could even let you and your family live here with no taxes to pay—" He stopped as Monroe pressed the dagger to his neck.

"Same answer as last time, ya wretched varmint: Ah ain't yer lapdog. Ya got yer money, now scram!"

The Chesnaught, Vitus, smirked. "You think you're tough talking to us like that? You don't have the guts, puppy!"

The Toedscruel, Newt, nodded. "Indeed. Unless you want an audience with the boss himself…"

Monroe growled. "Ah bet he's all talk. Bring him here now, and Ah'll—"

"Monroe!" his parents gasped.

Adenine ran over and pulled on her brother's overalls. "That's enough! Don't make thin's worse than they are!"

Consus smirked. "Yes, listen to your sister, Monroe. We wouldn't want to escalate your troubles further than they are now." He pocketed his knife and turned away. "Accept our show of generosity for now, but do yourself a favor and quit acting so defiant. Bad things happen when you play the hero in these parts." He and his goons laughed as they took their leave.

Adenine and Doc relaxed a bit. "That was too close," Adenine said.

Monroe glanced down at his mother, who was still picking food off the ground, then glared back at the thugs. His fists curled and trembled with repressed rage. "Those bastards…"


"Daggone varmints pushin' and threatin' and walkin' in like that own the place…" Monroe grumbled as he paced around the living room, snarling through clenched teeth. "What Ah wouldn't give to teach that son of a bitch a lesson."

Pearl, within sight of the kitchen as she watched the dirt-covered vegetables, sighed. "Sweetie, curb that aggression of yers. Gettin' mad won't solve anythin'."

"Doin' nothin' ain't doin' us a whole lot of favors!"

Doc sat back in his chair and groaned as he rubbed his temples. "Yer mother's right, son. We can't be makin' enemies with the Dead Men Soldiers. They have an iron grip over the town that can't be shaken easily."

"So we're just supposed to accept it and move on with our lives?!" Monroe shouted. "Ah've got plenty of fight in me, and Ah know damn well Ah can give that rotten varmint a lesson in country hospitality!"

Adenine hung off the back of the family couch, frowning at her brother. "But their boss would kill ya if he got involved."

"Ah haven't seen lick of their so-called boss! Probably just some brittle ol' fancy man with a crippled back and cane wheezin' up dust. Ah ain't scared of them."

She grimaced. "But gettin' involved might do more harm than good. We'd have better luck just leavin' town for good."

"Not much we can do when travelin' out of this shithole costs an arm and a leg, yet ya go on usin' all yer damn money galivantin' to see yer little boyfriend!"

Adenine glared. "Ah don't have a—"

"How is any of this fair for all of us that ya go wastin' yer money on rides to Senbo when we can't even afford to move?!"

"…" Adenine looked away, tears shimmering in her eyes.

Doc sighed. "Monroe, stop harassin' yer sister. Ah don't want ya gettin' yerself hurt over this. We're still movin' along even with the taxes."

"Ya call this movin' along?" Monroe asked. "Our only customers are the people here, and we rarely have any big orders for clothes. Ya don't see a lot of fancy folk travelin' to the middle of nowhere for a pretty dress when they can probably get nicer ones outside their mansions!"

Silence echoed through the Brennan household. All eyes turned to the floor, stung by the Granbull's brutal honesty. Though they wanted to cling to hope, it was hard to ignore the gravity of their financial situation. It simply wasn't a road they could recover from clasping their hands together and praying for miracles to shower their household.

Seeing the dour state he brought upon his family, Monroe finally relaxed his tense posture and collapsed back onto the couch. He held his face in his hands and sighed. "Ah'm sorry, y'all. Ah…Ah didn't mean to snap like that. Ah'm just so sick and tired of them bullyin' us. It ain't right."

Pearl wiped her hands on her apron and walked up to her son, wrapping her arms around him. "We're all a mite stressed, Ah suppose."

"…" Monroe glanced at Adenine. "Sorry for yellin' at ya, sis. Ah didn't mean it."

She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "It's…It's okay. Ah'm sorry Ah've been selfish with mah allowance."

Monroe closed his eyes and sighed. "Ya don't ask for much. If anyone deserves some happiness, it's ya for puttin' up with mah irritable behind." He stood up and dragged his feet to the hallway. "Ah'm gonna cool off for a moment."

Pearl frowned. "If ya need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"Right…"

"We'll be here for ya, son," Doc called out. "And we'll get through this, Ah promise ya—wait, hold up." He glanced at Adenine. "What was that about ya havin' a boyfriend?"

Adenine covered her blushing face and whined. "PAAAAAAA!"

"Who is he? What's he like? He hasn't done anythin' to ya, right? Papa's got a mace in the back—"

"Please stop!"

Monroe closed his door behind him to drown out the noise. He sighed and dragged himself to his bed. How he envied his family, able to bounce back from a stressful situation and return to their usual antics at the drop of a hat. Meanwhile, the eldest child always had his mind on the future, thinking about what could and will go wrong. He couldn't relax knowing his family was suffering because of bad odds.

He had all the opportunities to leave and start a life for himself, maybe as a merchant. He could start his own business, afford to take care of his family, and maybe even start one of his own with a loving partner. But that meant leaving on his own, and he couldn't leave his parents and sister to deal with DMS. He was too stubborn to let them push him around, but his family wasn't quite as bold.

If they just had a little more money and time, they could afford to leave Copper Bluff for good. It'd be at the mercy of the rest of the town, but his family came first.

"…" Monroe glared out his bedroom window, looking to the old abandon mining facility in the distance. "Sorry Pa, but Ah'm not waitin' for Arceus to get off his ass and do somethin'. Ya want a fence painted by sundown, ya grab that brush yerself and get it done."


Night rolled over Copper Bluff. All townsfolk retired for the night to drift away into decent slumber. The Dead Men Soldiers had all completed their rounds and returned to the old mining facility near the edge of Copper Gorge, to where they set up their base of operations. Some guards were on night watch, keeping to their routine of guarding the town from night raiders. As much as the town hated it, DMS kept to their word.

However, one defiant soul wasn't ready to heel.

Dressed in dark clothing, Monroe snuck out from his bedroom window armed with his dagger and a couple large sacks made from old bedsheets. He ran to the facility on all fours, taking caution to move carefully and not stir up too much noise.

He had plenty of encounters with Consus, and the one thing he learned from those encounters was how the boss liked to organize his earnings. Supposedly, they were protected within the boss' private quarters, the safest place they could be stored according to them.

It was risky, but Monroe would have to bide his time and wait for an opening to grab the money. Just enough to move away from Copper Bluff. By the time anyone found out, they'll be long gone. They'll be able to set up a new life anywhere they want, maybe even in the Senbo Kingdom if they were lucky.

The mining facility came into view. Monroe slowed his pace and approached carefully. He could already spot a few thugs on patrol. The facility had been set up with tents bolted into the old buildings as well as a few defenses to keep night raiders from getting past them. Designed specifically to keep raiders IN, not out. They were so confident in their abilities, they were willing to trap night raiders inside with them.

Monroe intended to be their first escapee.

The Granbull waited for an opening before rushing in and jumping over the spiked fences. He landed and immediately ducked behind a stone pillar as a guard walked by. Once cleared, he continued apace, ducking in and out of hiding between barrels, pillars, and the occasional guard who was nodding off to sleep.

He found a ladder and climbed to a higher vantage point. He believed it led to the office of the head excavator. He reached the platform and leapt onto the office roof.

"Now, where's the boss at?" he whispered.

He scanned through the darkness for anywhere that may indicate a sleeping quarter. The only flaw in his plan was the risk of getting caught by said boss, though he held strong to his belief the man was all bark. Still, best not to take chances.

He didn't have to search for long, thankfully, as he saw someone walking out of a building down below. It looked like a reconstructed storage unit ten times its usual size. Even in the dark, Monroe could see the additional sections built into it with the frame of the old building still intact.

Though he could get a clear image of the figure, he saw a couple guards bowing to the shrouded man and leading him away.

"Is tonight mah lucky day?"

Monroe jumped off the roof, sliding back down the ladder, and raced to the repurposed storage building. He checked around the corner, making sure no one was around, and sprinted for the door.

"Freedom, here we come."

However, unbeknownst to Monroe, he wasn't quite as unseen as he assumed. A floating cloak shifting in the darkness was right on his tail.


Monroe poked his head inside the room, giving a courtesy scan, and closed it behind him. He let out a sigh of relief and relaxed his posture. "Okay, hard part's not out of the way, but a good start."

He took a moment to investigate his surroundings. He expected livelier accommodations for someone so powerful, but the spacious and repurposed storage building was surprisingly minimal. A bare mattress sat in the corner of the room with an oil lamp hanging off the wall. A writing desk was on the opposite side of the room with some papers. In the center of the back wall was a locked vault wrapped in chains. The only decorations Monroe could see were three shards mounted to the wall in a row. They resembled golden blades with silver edges, and they've rusted with age.

"Not much for luxury, this one," Monroe mumbled. He ignored the minimalist aesthetic and turned to the main source of his interest: the vault. "Time to get crackin'."

He approached the vault and pulled on the lock for a test. It was locked tight. He considered snapping the chains off, but he wanted to steal the money without rousing immediate suspicion of his presence. He didn't see a key in the room, so he went with his next best bet.

He produced a couple thick sewing needles and dug them into the lock. He didn't really know much about picking locks, and he wasn't sure if the needles were a useful substitute, but he had to work with what he had.

"Even if it takes me weeks, Ah'll break into this daggone safe and get mah family out of here—"

"Are ya insane?!" Monroe nearly yelped from the harsh, yet hushed call. He spun around and saw a floating cloak entering through the door. The hood fell back, and a shimmer of color splashed over revealing Adenine. "Have ya done lost yer mind or somethin'?"

Monroe growled. "Adenine, go home. This doesn't concern ya."

"Mah big brother is out in DMS territory and plannin' on robbin' them. It became mah concern the second Ah went to bed." She covered her face and groaned. "Ah always knew ya were reckless, but ya just don't stop takin' the Tauros by the horns."

Monroe turned back to the safe and continued picking the lock. "Ah'm tryin' to get our family out of this shithole, sis. We're not meant to live like this."

"But what about our friends and neighbors? We can't leave them behind. We're all supposed to be a community stickin' up for each other."

"Sometimes it's every Pokémon for themselves. Mah family comes first, no exceptions."

Adenine grabbed him by the clothes and tried to pull him away from the safe, though it was as effective as a Pichu trying to drag an Aggron. "We need to get out of here. We'll be in serious trouble if someone catches us."

"Ah ain't leavin' until Ah get our ticket out of here."

"Ya've gone off the deep end."

"Better than bendin' the knee to our generous captors."

"Monroe, come on!" She dug her heels down, pulling on his clothes with all her might. "Ah can't go losin' mah brother over a stupid risk!"

"Will ya stop? Ya're distractin' me.'

"Quit bein' such a dummy!"

"Quit bein' a pain in the rear!"

"Ya stubborn ol' hound!"

"Ya pesterin' little—"

"Ah, the joys of family squabbling, I see." The siblings froze as they heard the room's door slam shut. They craned their necks and saw Consus standing before them. He juggled his knife with one hand and chuckled. "Oh, this is just too rich."

"Consus!" Monroe jumped to his feet and pulled out his dagger. "What the hell are ya doin' here?"

"What? Am I not allowed to pay my old man a visit?"

Monroe's eyes widened. "Yer…what?"

Consus laughed. "Oh, there's that simple mind finally turning rusted gears. Oh, he's going to look forward to this when I tell him some wannabe bandit tried to make off with his hard-earned money."

He clenched his teeth. "Hard-earned?"

Adenine pulled on Monroe, this time more desperately. "Monroe, we need to leave now."

Consus waved his knife in her direction. "Oh, I don't think so. You two are going to stay right there while I round up my father. Oh, I do wonder what he's going to do to you two." He smirked. "Then again, it might be more torturous if we punished you by…doing away with your parents."

Monroe's fur stood on end. "What?"

"And perhaps we can do something with your assistant for good measure," Consus added. "My father hails from New Chariot, you know, and taking slaves is customary over there. I'm sure one little slave will liven up the place."

Adenine slunk behind Monroe, trembling in horror. "N-No…"

Monroe stomped forward, growling like a feral animal. "Ya can push me around all ya like, but NO ONE threatens mah family. If ya even lay one finger on mah sister, Ah'll—"

"You'll…what?" Consus taunted, taking a step forward. "Go on, tell me what you're going to do, little puppy. I'm all ears." He smirked. "Cause once I'm done putting you in your place, I'll be sure to make you watch every little horrible thing I have planned for your parents and your sister. Every little thing I can conceive to make you break."

"Ya…!"

"You should've been a tamed little hound like the rest of your sorry town. I gave you a way out, and you spat in our faces. And now you'll pay for this sorry excuse of a robbery. Both you and the little bitch—"

Monroe sprung across the room, swinging his dagger at Consus. The Hitmontop blocked it with his knife as Monroe snarled furiously. "No one…insults mah sister and gets away with it!"

Consus laughed. "So, the puppy does have fangs! You've sealed your fate!" He pushed Monroe off and flipped onto his head. "Triple Kick!" He rushed the Granbull down, delivering three powerful kicks to the stomach and sending him flying across the room.

"Monroe!" Adenine cried. She tried to reach him, but Consus kicked her across the side and knocked her into the wall. "Agh!"

"Wait your turn, little bumpkin." Consus approached the groaning bulldog struggling to stand and laughed. "Oh, this is just too rich. You really thought you could cheat us? I figured you for a smarter man, Monroe. Playing hero always ends in tragedy—"

"Shut…UP!" Monroe shot up onto all fours as a red aura pulsed from his body.

Consus staggered back and shuddered. His body trembled against his control. "Intimidate?"

"This little puppy was born with the teeth of a Sharpedo! Outrage!" His eyes glowed red, and his spiked up with red aura trailing off. Growling like a feral animal, he lunged at Consus.

Consus dodged and kicked Monroe in the back of the head, but it hardly fazed the senseless hound. He caught the ground and returned his attack, throwing all his weight against the Hitmontop and throwing him across the room. He continued apace, throwing himself into Consus and slamming him up against the wall.

"Counter!" Consus channeled a red aura into his foot and struck the hound in the stomach.

"GAAH!" Monroe gasped out in pain and soared across the room, crashing into and breaking the boss' bed.

"Drill Run!" Consus took a running start and lunged into a spiraling formation.

"ICE FANG!" Monroe burst onto his feet and widened his jaw, conjuring a set of icy fangs. He snapped down and caught Consus by the tip of his horn, grinding him to a halt. He bit down harder and spread ice over the thug's head.

"Triple Kick!" Consus forced himself to spin and delivered three consecutive kicks to Monroe's face. They lacked power, but it was enough to stun the bulldog into releasing him. He pulled out his knife and stabbed it into Monroe's stomach.

"GAH!" Monroe broke from his Outrage and collapsed onto his knees.

Consus lifted his leg and struck his heel down onto Monroe's head, bashing his face into the floor. He pressed his foot down hard, grinding his heel into him. "Know your place, dog. This fight was over before it even began—"

"Leave mah brother alone!" Adenine suddenly jumped Consus and locked her arms around his throat. Consus gasped and backed off as Adenine squeezed her arms tightly over him. "Monroe, run! Now!"

Monroe pushed himself to his knees, holding his head from the wave of fatigue hitting him. "S-Sis…"

Consus gasped for air, but retained his general composure. He swung his head back and bashed the Kecleon's face. It dazed her enough for her arms to loosen. He grabbed her wrists, swung her over his shoulder, and smashed her onto the floor. Right as Adenine felt the wind get knocked out of her, Consus proceeded to stomp on her.

"Oh, I'm going to make sure you have a slow, miserable end. Like a little toy that'll wither and break from use. You don't mess with the Dead Men Soldiers and come out of it without a lifetime of suffering!"

Adenine curled into a ball and protected her head as he stomped down on her nonstop. Tears trickled down her face in between yelps of pain. "S-Stop! Please!"

Monroe, even through a clouded mind, felt his heart breaking from his sister's desperate cries. His fur bristled, and his vision became clouded in a deep red. He grabbed his dagger and rushed to his feet, roaring, "CONSUS!"

The Hitmontop stopped and spun around. "Oh? Ready for more punish—"

A trail of red splashed across the air. Monroe's dagger glided across the air and sliced open the thug's throat in one clean stroke. The dagger slipped from his weakened grip as Monroe panted heavily at the stunned thug's face.

Consus touched his throat, feeling blood pour over his arm and down his chest. He stared at the exhausted Granbull in silence before uttering, "You're…so dead…" He collapsed to his knees and toppled forward onto his face, splattering blood over the floor.

Monroe backed away from the fresh corpse, feeling his mind return to him. Seeing the body, he began to shake. "Oh…Oh Arceus, no…"

Adenine could only stare between the body and her brother in horror, but she shifted her attention to the situation at hand. Pushing aside the horrible sight, she grabbed Monroe's hand and pulled. "We got to go. Now."

"…R-Right."

They burst out of the room, taking the briefest of glances for patrol, and ran off before anyone could spot them. Monroe staggered from the knife still embedded in his stomach, but Adenine helped him stay upright. They hurried to the blockade, carefully climbed over, and made their way out into the open plains back to town.

They weren't looking forward to the morrow.


The morning was eerily quiet. While their parents went about business as usual, Adenine and Monroe took to their stations with a feeling of dread hanging off their shoulders. They did their best to act normal, either sweeping up the floors or counting up the money.

Monroe was glad his job required mostly sitting around as he was still reeling from the stab he took last night. Adenine did her best to stitch the wound with what they had and to clean off all the blood from their clothes. It took her a good chunk of the night, so they were both feeling a bit tired. Their panicked states were the only thing keeping them alert and ready.

Adenine leaned against her broom, suppressing a brief spell of trembles in her legs. She gulped and turned to Monroe. "It's almost noon."

Monroe drummed his fingers against the counter. "Maybe we got lucky or somethin'."

"W-What are they goin' to do to us?"

"Just…stay calm, alright? If nothin' happens today, we can count our blessin's and right this off as some miracle." He laughed nervously. "After all, they're a bunch of soil-brained dumbasses. They'll probably think he tripped on his knife or somethin'."

Adenine laughed with fear loaded in. "Y-Yeah. Yeah, that…but, we have his knife."

"…" Monroe sighed. "Just pray nothin' comes up."

"R-Right." She set her broom aside and sighed. "Um, Ah think Ah'm goin' to lay down for a spell."

"Yah. Ya do that. Ah've got thin's covered here."

She nodded slowly. "Alright." She dragged herself to the door leading to the stairs, gently closing it behind her.

Monroe covered his face and groaned. "Everythin' will be alright. Everythin' will be alright."

"Sweetie?" He nearly jumped out of his seat when his parents walked out from the back. Pearl noticed his worried grimace. "Is something wrong?"

Monroe forced a smile. "Oh, just…bored from the slow day, that's all."

Doc looked around. "Where's yer sister?"

"She was feelin' a mite faint, so she went to lay down. Heh, heat must be gettin' to her."

"Adenine is cold-blooded, Monroe," Doc reminded.

"Well, lack of heat, then. Mighty cold out, ain't it?"

"It's…summer." Doc raised his brow. "Son, ya feelin' alright yerself?"

"Course Ah am. Rarin' to work and all that!" Monroe laughed awkwardly. "Ah'm just lookin' forward to welcomin' the good people of our town with our services—"

The shop door swung open, cracking across the wall. Monroe and his parents gasped as a group of DMS thugs marched inside, armed with clubs and daggers. Heading the front of the pack was Vitus and Newt, and they didn't look too pleased to see the Brennan family.

Monroe clenched his teeth. "Not feelin' welcomin' anymore…"

Unknown to both parties, Adenine happened to hear the commotion and peeked out through the stairway door. Her eyes widened in shock at the army of thugs taking up their shop space. "No…"

Vitus skimmed his eyes between Doc and Pearl before landing on Monroe. He scoffed and approached the front counter. "You've got some nerve, dog."

Monroe forced a smile. "Ah take it ya're not here for a fittin'."

"No jokes, dog. You're coming with us to face trial in front of our leader."

Doc and Pearl gasped. "Trial?!"

A bead of sweat dripped down Monroe's head, but he kept his composure. "What are ya flappin' yer lips about this time?"

"Now you're playing dumb. How cute." The Chesnaught slammed his fists down on the counter and growled. "You know exactly why we're here! You think we wouldn't have noticed?! You think our BOSS wouldn't have noticed after the mess you left in his room?!"

Doc and Pearl looked to their son in concern while the Granbull did his best to keep a straight face. They knew the strain in his face, an expression that said he did something he wasn't supposed to.

Vitus grabbed Monroe's ear and pulled him forward. "Just admit it. You broke into our base last night and murdered Consus. You murdered the boss' son."

Doc and Pearl gasped. "W-What?!"

Again, Monroe kept his composure and sighed. "That bastard kicked the bucket? How sad. Ah'll send some roses for the funeral—" He felt the back of his head being grabbed, and Vitus smashed his face down into the counter.

"Again with this dumbass act. You're smarter than this, dog, or did you think you left without a damning piece of evidence?"

Monroe pushed his hand off and growled. "What the hell are ya talkin' about?"

Vitus snapped his fingers, and Newt stepped forward. The Toedscruel reached under his cloak and pulled out a bloodied dagger. Monroe struggled to keep up his stoic expression, recognizing the dagger instantly.

"I remember you brandishing this dagger at Consus just yesterday. Fine craftsmanship like this must've cost a fortune, or perhaps hours of arduous labor. Either way, it's a nice dagger, and hardly a common one you can buy from your local shop."

"…" Monroe gripped into the counter. "That don't prove nothin'."

"You country folk and your atrocious usage of grammar shows you aren't the brightest. We work hard to survive, meaning trying to pull a con over our eyes is tantamount to death." Vitus flashed a vicious grin. "There's no dancing around the truth. This is your dagger, and no flimsy excuse you can offer will change that."

With everyone distracted on each other, Adenine silently slipped back behind the door and held her head. "What are we goin' to do? Of course they think Monroe did it. They've been at each other's throats for ages. Now their boss wants him dead. Oh, what am we gonna…"

She paused. A terrible, risky, yet potentially lifesaving idea came to mind.

"Ma and Pa need Monroe more than they need me, so…" She took a deep breath and raced up the stairs as fast as she could.

Vitus jabbed a finger into Monroe's chest. "So, are you ready to face down the boss for your crimes? He's going to enjoy evening the score with you. I bet he'll have your neck sawed off."

Monroe growled. "Ah don't know how mah dagger got onto yer base. Maybe one of ya yahoos stole it and killed Consus to plant it against me."

Vitus laughed. "Oh, you country bumpkins are just too much. You think we're stupid enough to risk that? The boss could easily destroy your pitiful town and send it collapsing into Copper Gorge in one strike. I'm not risking my neck just to see you offed. Besides, I quite enjoy picking on you. You're the only one who fights back."

Monroe pressed his fists down and leaned further over the counter. "Ah. Didn't. Kill him."

Doc got between them. "H-Hold on, let's talk this out. This has to be some misunderstandin'. If we just take a deep breath—"

"Buzz off, old man." Vitus clobbered Doc across the head and sent him sprawling onto the floor.

"Doc!" Pearl gasped, kneeling over her husband.

"PA!" Monroe growled and jumped over the counter. He flinched from his stab wound and felt some blood dripping out. He placed a hand over it and stood up. "Ya're goin' to pay for that!"

Vitus smirked, spiking up his arms. "You are just pathetic, you know that? How long do you intend to stick to this lie of yours—"

"He ain't yer snake, ya trash-breathed varmint!"

"Huh?!" Right as Vitus spun around, a bundled ball of paper smacked him across the face and released a cloud of pepper. "GAAAH!" He fell to one knee and covered his eyes. "IT BURNS!"

The DMS thugs glared at the front door, where Adenine stood by in a white blouse, overalls, and a cloak draped over her shoulders. She bounced a couple more pepper bombs in her hands. She stared at the thugs fiercely, but Monroe could see the fear in her quivering stance.

"P-Plenty more where that came from! Ya yellow-bellied cowards are a joke! That dumbass varmint, Consus, couldn't even defend himself against a Kecleon like me!"

Newt's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

Vitus glared through the stinging fog of pepper. "Y-You?! You killed Consus?!"

Monroe gasped. "Adenine, what are ya—"

Adenine stuck her tongue out at the thugs. "Catch me if ya can, you slow-thinkin', mudsilled, dingle-berried, backdoor trottin', moppy bunko artists!" She turned and bolted out of the shop.

"ADENINE!" Doc and Pearl cried out.

"The hell did she just call us?!" a thug yelled.

"I don't know, but it was probably insulting!" another shouted.

"Kill her!" Vitus yelled. The thugs raised their weapons and pushed through the door, chasing down the fleeing Kecleon.

Monroe screamed, "Adenine, NO!"


"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit—" Adenine screamed as an army of DMS thugs chased her through town, startling the nearby townsfolk. She jumped and ducked under Flamethrowers, Hydro Pumps, Thunderbolts, and more. "Ah didn't think this part through at all!"

"Get back here!" the thugs roared.

Adenine kicked her legs as fast as she could and bolted through the main gate out of town. She didn't know where she was going, where she would be going, or even how she'd survive wherever it was she was going. All that mattered in the moment was surviving. With any luck, the blame would be shifted away from Monroe. All of the boss' rage would be directed at her.

Of course, it meant she could never return home.

She clenched her eyes shut. "Ma, Pa, Monroe…Ah'm mighty sorry. Ah'll reach out as soon as Ah can. Wait for me as long as ya can."

She didn't look back. She fled Copper Bluff as the DMS gang slowed to a stop, watching the Kecleon flee into the distance.

With all her heart, she hoped DMS would pour all their rage onto her until she found a way to resolve this nightmare.


Serell and Linota gawked at Monroe as he finished his tale. He covered his face, hiding the shame written all over him. Doc and Pearl held each other, the wounds of their daughter's daring escape still fresh on their minds.

"So, she tricked DMS into thinking she killed this Consus guy," Linota mumbled. "And they believed it?"

Monroe sighed. "Sometimes Ah wonder if they were so easily fooled, but they've stopped houndin' me for mah head on the choppin' block. They promised if Adenine ever showed her face around here again, they'd be sure she didn't get a second chance to escape."

Serell frowned. "That's horrible."

Monroe growled. "Ah've had to live with that shame for years. Ah drove away mah own sister because of mah lack of foresight. A stupid plan that broke our family more than it was before."

"Sweetie…" Pearl hushed, patting his arm. "We should at least be happy she found somewhere to recuperate. Better she be away from this nightmare than still sufferin' along with us."

"Doesn't change how Ah feel…"

Doc shook his head. "Not that Ah blame ya. If Ah were younger, yer plan would've sound enticin' to me. Still, it didn't stop DMS from harassin' us. We've had the grace of our fellow neighbors to keep us on our feet."

Linota clenched her fists. "I'm getting real sick of this so-called boss bullying you people. If some country folk can't get him to shut down his operation, maybe a pair of knights will do some good. Or better yet, let's just call on the whole Senbo military to have a word with him—"

"Absolutely not!" Monroe roared, shocking them. "Ah already told ya gettin' involved causes trouble! Ah made that mistake once, and Ah'm surely not lettin' ya fight our battles for us. Y'all just make a bigger mess for the lot of us!"

Linota glared. "Where's all that fight you were bragging about?! You haven't even seen their boss! Maybe he really is all talk. I say we pummel DMS around and teach them a lesson—"

"No," Doc intervened. "Monroe's right. Ya don't know what ya're talkin' about. We can't risk startin' a rebellion when that man can sink our town on a whim. It ain't worth it."

Serell glared. "You're seriously okay living like this?!"

"Of course not!" Monroe yelled. "But what other choice do we have? Even if we just abandon everythin' and set out with just the shirts on our backs, we'd wither away before we reach the next town over. We only ever made enough to send Adenine on her little trips every few months."

"Can't your relatives just take care of you then? I thought you were on good terms with them."

"We ain't moochers. It could take us months to start our business back, and it's not like that part of Senbo has ever been warm and friendly. Even before Adenine fled home, she'd tell us about how people mistreat or judge her."

Linota glared. "Are you saying you'd rather suffer just so you'd stick to your principles? Who cares if you mooch off your relatives? And Senbo isn't like that…much. These days."

Monroe scoffed. "We are folk of principles and tradition. That's how it's always been."

"…" Linota glared. "Or is it because you're jealous a branch of your family found success where your side didn't?"

Monroe growled. "Why ya…!"

Doc and Pearl looked away, feeling a bit shameful. "In truth, Ah…suppose it's a little unfair," Doc mumbled. "They struck it rich through some good investments and inheritance. We've always worked hard for our keep. We accept the generosity of our town, but it ain't the same as being given money. Ah always taught mah kids never to accept large sums of unearned money. Ah wouldn't want them gettin' too complacent with handouts."

Pearl frowned. "The world is changin' so fast that it feels like we can't catch up. Rich folk inherit their riches, and folk like us have to struggle to get food on the table. And with how our shop has been scorned by those types of people in the past, it's…hard to imagine a successful life in a richer town."

"…" Linota sighed. "The world is changing, I agree, but there's a time and place for these things. You can still keep to your principles without sacrificing your livelihood. There's room for tradition and progression. I strongly believe that reaching out to your relatives and asking for help is the best call."

Doc narrowed his eyes. "But what about the rest of Copper Bluff? We wouldn't want to abandon and leave them to these tyrants."

"I think they'd be happy knowing at least one family got a chance to start over." She shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe in time, you can extend that same generous hand and get them out of their situation. And they'd do the same to their next neighbor. And then some."

"…" Doc and Pearl exchanged dreary looks with each other.

"…" Monroe looked away, hiding his scowl.

"…Perhaps we've been stubborn for too long." Doc dusted his hands off and walked to the stairwell. "Ah'm gonna pen a letter to mah uncle. If he agrees to house us for a bit, maybe we can get a head start on findin' a place to set up shop. It won't be easy, and Ah don't plan on relyin' on their money. But…maybe this'll give us the chance to reunite with Adenine." He pushed the door open and headed upstairs.

Pearl sighed and followed behind. "Ah'll get started on dinner."

With the parents gone, it was just Monroe and the knights remaining. Monroe sat down in his chair and rested his head into his folded arms. Serell approached the Granbull's side and patted his arm.

"I know the first few months, maybe even years, will be rough. You'll have to rebuild everything from scratch. But sometimes you just need to ask for help and accept a shoulder to lean on."

"…" Monroe closed his eyes. "What makes ya say that?"

He gestured to himself and Linota. "Well, our prince gave us a second chance when no one else would. He pulled us out of some rough patches." He frowned. "Monroe, I know it's been rough for you and your family, but you don't have to keep fighting your battles alone. You just need to hold out to hope."

"…" Monroe sighed. "Ya sound like mah father. There's nothin' worth hopin' over."

He shrugged. "Stranger miracles have happened."

The Granbull looked off to the side, contemplating the Togetic's words. The fire that had been burning in his chest for years had withered into a tiny ember after his blunder years ago. He didn't have much hope left in anything these days.

But…was there truly a chance to make things right? A chance to start over?