Chapter 8; Getting Ready

Location; Leblanc, Yongen-Jaya

Ren had returned back to Leblanc, where Sojiro was serving punk-rock women. The woman then said as she paid her bill. "...Thanks. I'll see you later."

"Come back again, Doctor." Sojiro said as the woman left. Ren got out of her way and said to Sojiro. "Who was that?"

"Oh, that customer just now? She's the head doctor over at that clinic down the street. Rumor has it she gives pretty crappy examinations, and sells some weird homemade medicines on top of that. At least, that's what I've heard. I haven't been there myself. They should really just leave her alone. It's not like she's getting in the way of their lives…" Sojiro said before Morgana said still in his beg. "Hey, are we there yet?"

"Be quiet." Ren said, hoping Sojiro didn't hear him. Sojiro looked at Ren for a moment and said. "Well, I've gotta get home and start making dinner…"

"Ok, night Sojiro." Ren said as he went to his room. In his room, Nincade was outside the window. Ren opened the window and after letting Nincada in, he left Morgana out of the bag, and left Rockruff and Zorua out of their Pokeballs. As the Pokemon were looking around, Morgana said to Ren. "What the… What is this place!?"

"My room."

"Is this some kind of abandoned house!?" Morgana said and before Ren told him that this was a restaurant, Sojiro walked up the stairs. Luckily Zorua used his powers to hide Rockruff, Nincada, and himself from Sojiro. So he just saw Morgana and said to Ren. "I was wondering why I heard meowing… What did you bring it here for!?"

"Aqua and I found him alone on the streets and I decided to take him in." Ren said make a quick lie. Sojiro said, looking at Morgana. "That's… That's a shame. Look, this place is a restaurant. Animals are a no-go…"

"I understand, so I will keep him up here. And if he gets out of control, Aqua said she will take him in."

"Looks like having a pet is already causing a positive influence on you. Ok, but keep it quiet when we're open for business. And I'm not gonna take care of it. That's all on you."

"I'll do my best." Ren said as Sojiro left. Morgana then said as Zorua turned off his power. "Was that the ruler of this place?"

"Yes, and I'm trying to get on his bad side."

"He seems pretty understanding for someone who keeps you cramped up in this dump."

"I'm just glad he can only hear you meowing."

"Yeah."

"Seriously… It had to keep calling out in that cute little voice…" Sojiro said as he came up with food for Morgana. Sojiro then said to Ren. "Make sure you wash that dish. By the way… have you decided on a name?"

"I will and his name is Morgana."

"Morgana? Huh… I was hoping I'd get to name it…" Sojiro said before he left. Ren then looked down the steppes and saw Sojiro leave. "It's safe guys." Ren said and Zorua turned off the illusion. Morgana then said to Ren. "Looks like the chief likes me better than you. And to be honest, this place is heaven compared to Kamoshida's cells. Remember how you guys asked me before about what I am? To be honest… I don't remember anything about my birth. I think the Metaverse's distortions made me lose both my memories and my true form."

"So you don't know if you are a human or a cat."

"I am not a cat. I am human! I mean, why else would a cat be able to talk like this? There's no other possible explanation. There's no doubt that the distortions were what caused me to lose my real self. I'm sure that once they're purged, I'll finally be able to get that self back. And I have a pretty good idea on how to do it too. That's why I was in the castle in the first place. Come to think of it, I didn't get hungry in that world…"

"Speaking of food, here you guys go." Ren said as he pulled out food for the Pokemon out of his bag. After they were all done eating, Ren put Morgana dish in the sink. When he returned to his room, Morgana said to him. "Let me make myself clear; Your taking care of me won't be for nothing. It'll be give and take. Due to my knowledgeable and dexterous nature, I have a lot of intel on infiltration tools."

"And what are infiltration tools?"

"I can't tell you more unless we settle on a deal."

"And what deal would that be?"

"In exchange for you keeping me here, I'll teach you about these tools. How does that sound?"

"That sounds fine."

"I like that answer. Hehehe… Then it's a deal. I'll lecture you about the infiltration tools over time. By the way, the power you used in the Palace was seriously amazing. The stronger that power gets, the more reliable it'll be as a trump card. All right, I'm gonna stick with you wherever you go from today on. Personas are the strength born from one's heart. Depending on what kind of life experience you gain, I bet it'll affect that power as well! And if you become acquainted with capable people, you might learn various, useful skills too… This is all part of our deal, got it?" Ren then said to Morgana as he got ready for bed. "Ok. Now let's get some sleep." They all then went to bed.

Location; Velvet Room

Ren then found himself in the Velvet Room. Ren said as he got up. "Ok Igor, what do you want to talk to me about now?"

"Oh, he's not here right now." The person in red said, causing Ren to jump up and see that only the person in red standing in front of his cell. Ren then grabbed the bars of his cell and said to her. "How are you here?"

"I can go anywhere I want. Even here, as long as Igor and those abominations aren't here."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't need to know. Just hold still." The person in red said as she made a ring that had seven circles inside the ring. "This might hurt." The person in red said as she tossed the ring at Ren's chest. Ren fell down and the person in red said to her. "Now we are done here. Goodbye."

"Wait?! What did you do?!"

"Oh, that? Just trying to keep Igor away from you while you're in Palaces or in the real world."

"Why?"

"I have my reasons."

"And they are?"

"Something else you don't need to know. Now goodbye." The person in red said as Ren suddenly woke up from his bed. "I'm starting to not like her." Ren said as he started to get ready for school.

Location; Shujin Academy, Aoyama-Itchome

During lunch, they all met up with one another on the roof. They talked as they and the Pokemon were eating. "Looks like we're all here. Okay, let's get going!" Ryuji said as they found a spot to sit on the roof. Morgana then said to Ryuji. "Hold on, it's still too early for us to head to the Palace."

"But why? Don't we just gotta steal those Treasure things?"

"Don't underestimate the dangers of that place. We need to prepare."

"Ain't that Persona and Pokemon shit we got enough to deal with it?"

"That's exactly what I mean when I say don't underestimate it. You'll die if you mess up in there. So again, we need to prepare before we head in."

"Morgana right. We barely have any supplies, I don't have a Persona or a weapon, and you guys are not synced up with your Pokemon, plus you all don't know how to do a Z-Move." Aqua said before Ann said. "So how are we supposed to do that?"

"I'm glad you asked, Lady Ann. First, we'll need to find equipment for Aqua." Morgana said before Ryuji said. "You talking about weapons? I know a kick-ass place!"

"In that case, you can handle that side of things. The only other thing would be stocking up on medicines. Fatigue is unavoidable in a Palace…"

"I do have an option." Aqua said as she pulled out a seed. They all looked at the seed and Ann said to Aqua. "What seed is that?"

"This is a Berry Seed. This is a natural medicine in the Pokemon world. There are only two problems. One is that it will take a few days. And two, I don't have any experience working in a garden."

"Don't worry, I know just the place. So after school, Ren and I have some business in Yougen." Morgana said and Ren said. "I think I know what you are talking about."

"Good, and by the way does this school have a gardening club? I want to plant seeds, and make Berries, so we don't waste all of our money on medication." Aqua said and they didn't have an answer. "Alright, I'll ask my teacher about this after school. And tomorrow, we meet up at my house to train with our Pokemon, then we will get my weapon." Aqua said as lunch time was almost over. After school, Aqua learned from Shita that they didn't have a Gardening Club, but there was a student who was keeping the flowers healthy. So she went to the front of the school and found Okumara working on the flowers. She then said to Okumara. "Hello."

"Uh… Hello…"

"Are you Okumara?"

"Yes."

"Good. I hear you can help me."

"With what?" Okumara said, stepping back. Aqua stepped forward and said. "I need you to teach me how to garden."

"Really? Why ask me? Why not ask someone else or look stuff up online?"

"I learn best by doing. And seeing how lovely the flowers look. I think you will be a great teacher."

"Uh…?" Okumara said, still thinking about it. After a few minutes, Okumara said to Aqua. "Ok."

"Great. Oh, and my name is Aqua Kangofu."

"I know we are in the same class."

"I know, but I had a lot on my mind that day, so I forgot everyone's name."

"Oh! My name is Haru."

"Nice to meet you Haru." Aqua said, giving Haru a hand shake. Haru took it with a smile and she started to tell Aqua the basics of gardening.

Location; Yongen-Jaya Backstreets

As for Ren, he and Morgana had arrived back at Yongen-Jaya and Morgana said to Ren. "Hey, remember that customer you met at Leblanc yesterday? The doctor who prescribed medication after a quick examination? She was sitting at the booth…"

"Yeah, I remember."

"Well I realized something. If she's the kind of doctor who gets sketchy rumors like that, maybe she'll help us out. She's somewhere in the neighborhood, right? Take me to her."

"Fine." Ren said as he started looking around. Soon he found a sign that said Talemi Medical Clinic. Ren walked up some steeps and before entering the clinic, Morgana said to him. "This is the clinic that the chief mentioned. Now, how can we get them to give us some medicine?"

"I'll think of something."

"...Well, I guess that's the only choice we have. We'll just have to go for it. All right, let's step inside." Morgana said as Ren entered the room. "...Is this your first visit?" The doctor Ren and Morgana saw yesterday said to Ren, as she was on the front counter. Ren walked to her and said. "Yes, this is my first time."

"Hm? I feel like I've seen you somewhere before…"

"At Leblanc."

"Hmmm… Well, whatever… So, what are you here for today?"

"I need some medicine that can help me get some energy back." Ren said and the doctor thought about it. She then said to Ren. "...Fine. Please head to the exam room." Ren entered the room and told the doctor a lie. The doctor wrote stuff down and said. "...In a case like yours, it's usually just due to stress. I'm going to prescribe you some pain relievers, okay?"

"Okay."

"Actually, I still need to restock those… So let's go with sleeping pills instead. Sleep is the best medicine anyway. Which type of pill do you want, a sweet-tasting one or a bitter one?"

"Whatever."

"How about a stinky one, then? Just kidding. There's no such pill all right, why don't we stop beating around the bush… You're not sick at all, are you? I'm not as dumb as I look, you know. …I'm guessing you're here because you heard the rumors about me, huh?"

"Yes, and are the rumors true?"

"Who's to say? But as a result, all I get are patients with ulterior motives now. I guess high school kids have it tough nowadays too, huh?"

"You have no idea."

"Well, fine. I'll prescribe you some medication."

"Really!"

"But only medication that will help you recover your health."

"And you're going to sell me some?"

"You seem pretty earnest, and you don't look like you'll be in any trouble. This is my private practice. All the medicine I dispense is original. I have a license to make my own formulas. You've likely seen them being sold as various hospitals. It's your responsibility to take care of yourself. So if that's okay with you, stop by anytime."

"That'll really help, thanks."

"Great. It's nice that you're so quick on the uptake… Saves me the hassle. You're a pretty weird kid, you know? I wonder what you're going to use the medicine for…"

"My friend has a bad habit of thinking with his fist."

"Well, as long as you don't cause me any trouble, it's not my problem…"

"I understand, Doctor…?"

"Call me Takemi, and this is all I've got right now…" Takemi said as she showed Ren some medicine. Ren bought some of the medicine and after that, Takemi said. "Goodbye and good luck with that."

"Thanks." Ren said as he left. Once he was outside the room, a man in a suit walked in and Ren could hear Takemi and the man talking about a special medicine and a little about Takemi's past, but didn't hear more, because the man realized Ren was listening. So before the man could exit the room and yell at Ren. Ren returned to Leblanc. In his room, Morgana said to Ren. "Geez, they almost caught us."

"Yeah, but did you hear what they were talking about?"

"Sounded like they were talking about something dangerous… Could that woman be hiding some extra strong medicine…?"

"We could use that."

"I agree. If it's strong, it might come in handy at the Palace. We'll have to go back when that man isn't here. Also, we shouldn't involve people who have nothing to do with this. Keep the Phantom Thieves a secret, okay?"

"Okay.

Location; Aqua House, Yongen-Jaya

The next day, after lunch everyone met up at Aqua House and Aqua let them inside. "Nice place you got here." Ann said as they walked inside. Aqua closed the door and said. "Yeah, but it's still a mystery to me."

"What do you mean?" Ryuji said and Aqua said. "Just come down stairs." They all went to the basement and not only saw the training area, but the egg wrapped in blankets and on top of pillows. As the others looked around, Ren went to the egg. Aqua walked up to him and said. "Curious about the egg?"

"Yeah."

"Ask your question?"

"When will it hatch?"

"When it starts to flash. That means the egg is going to hatch soon."

"Is there any way to speed it along?" Ryuji said as he and Ann joined them. Aqua then said to them. "No, now let out your Pokemon." Everyone then let out their Pokemon. "Now pull out your phone." Aqua said as she pulled out her phone and soon the others did. Aqua then sent them a copy of the Pokedex to each of them. Ann then said to Aqua. "Why are you giving us Pokedex?"

"Yeah, don't these just tell us about Pokemon?" Ryuji said and Aqua said. "That is one of its functions. The other functions let you see the moves your Pokemon knows, what type of move it is and they're abilities."

"Really, I wonder what else Shinx has." Ryuji said as they all looked at their Pokemon moves and abilities. Ryuji then said to Aqua. "What does ability Rivalry mean?"

"Shinx has the same ability as Litleo." Ann said and Aqua said. "Most Pokemon have the same ability, so it's not surprising. And to answer your question Ryuji. Rivalry means that Shinx and Litleo will deal more damage to Pokémon of the same gender, but deal less to Pokémon of the opposite gender."

"Ok, but what does this move Attract do?" Ann said and Aqua smiled. Aqua then said looking at Litleo. "Attract makes Pokemon of the opposite gender temporarily fall in love with the Pokemon. Litleo if you don't mind showing her."

[Ok.] Litleo said and then smiled and shot out a lot of pink hearts outlines at all of the Pokemon. The hearts surrounded them and then hit them all. After they all blinked and Fletchinder, Rockruff, Zorua, Nincada and Shinx head pink hearts. As they surrounded Litleo, Brionne put them all in bubbles and they floated around Litleo. Ren then said to Aqua. "How long will it last?"

"A few minutes, tops. And once they have returned to normal, we will practice Z-poses." Aqua said as all of the Pokemon, minus Shinx returned to normal. And after a few minutes, Shinx returned to normal and Aqua showed them Z-poses that correspond to the Z-Crystals they had. It did take about two hours, but they won't need Aqua help in battle to use it. As Aqua gave them all water, Ren said to her. "So how do you know all this Z-poses anyway?"

"I have a friend back home. He taught me all of the Z-poses. Now, Ryuji, are you going to take me to this shop in Shibuya?"

"Yep, does anyone else want to join us?" Ryuji said and Ann said. "Sorry, but I'm going to see Shiho today."

"Oh. Ok. Ren, Morgana, how about you two?" Aqua said and Morgana said. "I want to stay here, I feel something off about this place."

"Well, I'm coming. See you home Morgana and Nincada." Ren said as they all, but Morgana, returned their Pokemon back to their Pokeballs and exited Aqua house.

Location; Station Square, Shibuya

"So where is it?" Aqua said to Ryuji after they got off the train and walked to the surface. Ryuji said, looking around. "It's this way. On Central Street" As Ryuji took them to Central Street, but they stopped when Ren listened to a Street Orator talking about the youths in the country. Ryuji then pushed Ren to Central Street. Central Street was full of all kinds of places, but the shop they were going to was hiding in a back alley. The shop was an Airsoft shop and had a green neon sign that said Untouchable Aqua turned to Ryuji and said. "Is this it?"

"Yeah. Pretty legit, huh?"

"This place looks sketchy." Ren said and Aqua said. "I agree with Ren."

"It will be fine, let's check out what's inside. Oh yeah, before we head in… do you two know anything about guns and shit?" Ryuji said before Aqua said. "I've never even heard the word until I came here."

"And I know a little." Ren said as he entered the shop. Inside the place was full of stuff that looked like army stuff and a man that was more sketchy than the shop. In the shop Ren went to the sketchy guy and said. "Excuse me, we are looking for a long range gun."

"Try over there."

"Ugh, some customer service…" Ryuji said as Aqua started to look around. Aqua found a Sniper Rifle and said. "I guess whatever this will work."

"Listen kids. This here's an enthusiast shop. My regulars'll be mad if I let a casual like you hang around." The man said and Ryuji said as Aqua brought the rifle to the cash register. "I'm not a freaking casual! I bought shit from here like last week!"

"Huh, can't remember you."

"You bastard…"

"Look, we are here looking for a fancy model gun for our friend here." Ren said as Aqua pulled out a card. The man then said to Ren. "...Oh? Are you guys planning a nice bank robbery or something?"

"No. We are just looking for a realistic model."

"I don't know what you are thinking and I don't care, but there are some precautions. Don't go around pointing them at other people. Keep them in a bag or something if you're outside. Oh, and don't let the fuzz catch wind of you having them. I don't need them coming around here."

"Don't worry, we hate the cops."

"Well we have that in common. Now, if you look closely, you'll be able to tell these're models. Real guns feel… different. Maybe someday I'll show you the real good stuff though– if you got the guts for it, of course." The man said taking the card. After he was done with it, he gave it back to Aqua and started to read a magazine. Aqua put the gun in her backpack and they all went home.

Location; Shujin Academy, Aoyama-Itchome

The next day at school, after homeroom, Kawakami pulled Ren out of the classroom. "There's something I'd like to ask you. It won't take long." Kawakami said as she was taking him to the guidance office. When they reached the room, Kamoshida and another teacher came out of the room with the girl Ren met a few days ago on the train. Kamoshida looked at Kawakami and said. "I see you're already getting on top of the problem I'd mentioned this morning, Ms. Kawakami! I appreciate the support."

"Hello again?" Ren said to the girl, who said to him. "Hello."

"Oh, you know this guy, Yoshizawa?" Kamoshida said to the girl. Yoshizawa said to Kamoshida. "Yes, he lent me a helping hand some time ago."

"I recommend you steer clear of the likes of him if you have any consideration for your future. Remember the discussion we just had? There are a number of students in this school you shouldn't get involved with… This one's at the top of the list."

"Oh, the delinquent transfer student…?"

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to use the guidance office." Kawakami said and they left. In the guidance office, Kawakami said to Ren. "I'm going to get straight to the point: did something happen between you and Mr. Kamoshida?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well there was that little exchange just now, but that's not all… He gave me a brief lecture this morning and your name came up. Something about the dangers of a lack of supervision… I don't mean to pry, but… Just make sure you don't cause trouble, okay? Oh, and one more thing. That girl outside the office– you didn't make a pass at her, did you?"

"Of course not."

"All right. Mr. Kamoshida has a real close eye on you… Apparently, you've been getting involved with Sakamoto-kun. You seem acquainted with Yoshizawa-san as well. …Maybe you're just naturally drawn to athletes? Sorry, bad joke. That's all I wanted to discuss. You're free to go." Kawakami said and Ren left the room. After school they all went to the roof and after talking about the Treasure for a few minutes, they all went into the castle ready for any trick Kamoshida had.