Chapter 19; Red Cloak

Location; Integration Room

After Ren was done talking about Madarame's case, Sae said to him. "So after Shiho Suzui, you did it again for someone you barely knew? You were sent away twice, almost reported to the police… and yet you still wanted to save him? Moreover, you ended up in a museum instead of a castle this time…"

"That's because he saw his Palace as a museum, not a castle like Kamoshida."

"You're still going to maintain this rubbish about Palace's and change someone's hearts by stealing their Treasure?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but it is the truth."

"Very well. The truth behind this tale of yours will be clear once your conspirators are in custody. Now then, tell me about this new member who joined your group. There's no point in being stubborn. It will only damage your position. The identity of Madarame's pupil can be easily discovered with a little investigation."

"Go right ahead. I'm not telling."

"So you won't sell out your accomplice? …Fine. There's still much more that I want to hear. It was around this time that the Phantom Thieves began to truly gain popularity. Lies flooded the internet, things like, "The Phantom Thieves saved me too," or, "I got a calling card"... For heaven's sake… those lies made the collection of intel take almost ten times longer. Now, your next target was this man… Junya Kaneshiro. He doesn't compare to the previous two. Even the police had been struggling to apprehend him. So, exactly how did you take down such a well-guarded criminal? Tell me."

"Ok, but you are not going to like this part." Ren said before starting his account on what happened with Kaneshiro.

Location; Prosecutor Office

At the Prosecutor Office, Sae and her boss were watching the news about Madarame's apology, and they weren't happy. Sae then turned to her boss and said. "First Kamoshida at Shujin Academy, and now Madarame… I've found a number of points of commonality between the two. Both, for example, were sent a "calling card" before their unforeseen changes of heart."

"...I see. But isn't tying their cases to the series of psychotic breakdowns jumping to conclusions? Furthermore, the police will frown upon you stepping into this…"

"Now isn't the time to be worrying about things like jurisdiction and honor! We need to dig deeper and find a correlation among the incidents these past two, three years."

"Very well. I leave it to you… However, you must not let this interfere with your regular duties."

"Thank you, sir." Sae said before bowing and leaving the room. When Sae was gone, the SIU Director wasn't happy. Because his secret agenda was in danger of being exposed by the Phantom Thieves or by Sae.

Location; Shujin Academy, Aoyama-Itchome

The following day, in the school, mostly everyone was talking about what happened to Madarame and how it was the same as what happened to Kamoshida. And these caused a few of the students to start to believe in the Phantom Thieves. And before the day started, the Principal called Makoto to his office. And the moment she walked in, the Principal said to her. "How are things going in regard to that matter we spoke of earlier?"

"I have nothing to report yet…"

"Nothing at all? How many students are there who could provoke a teacher?"

"I've already narrowed it down. I just can't get any solid evidence…" Makoto said and the Principal was disappointed, like he cared more about the identity of the Phantom Thieves of Heart more than anything else. Then a thought entered Makoto's mind and then said to him. "You knew, didn't you? About Mr. Kamoshida sexually harassing students." The Principal didn't say anything and Makoto said. "Sir!"

"What will come of you asking that?"

"This investigation is for a just cause, correct?"

"I believe I understand how flustered this must be making you. I'm sure it was truly shocking for you as student council president to see a peer attempt suicide…"

"Yes…"

"We must provide a school environment where all students can feel at ease. That is the most pressing issue we have to tackle at the moment."

"So that's your reason behind this investigation on the Phantom Thieves of Hearts? We don't even know if they truly exist. Why are you–"

"You heard about the incident with that Madarame fellow, I assume?"

"...They said there was a similar calling card to the one used in Mr. Kamoshida's case."

"I wish to believe that this is unrelated to our students. That is where I stand. I suggest you devote your energy to the task at hand, not unnecessary questions.

"Yes…" Makoto said, unhappy with the conversation and left the Principal's Office. Later that day, during lunch, Ren and the others meet up in Ren and Ann's classroom. "You look happy Ryuji?" Aqua said to a happy Ryuji and Ryuji said to them. "Why wouldn't I be happy, people are finally starting to believe in the Phantom Thieves."

"On that topic. How's it going? Have you found our next big target?" Ann said to Ryuji and Ryuji said to her. "I just started looking yesterday. No way I'm gonna find one that quick."

"Oh yeah. I guess that's true. By the way, I decided on the TV station. What about you two?" Ann said to Ren and Ryuji. Aqua then said to the guys. "What is she talking about?"

"She is talking about the social studies trip." Ren said before Ryuji said. "Yeah. I was just going to ditch it…"

"You'd better go to your school activities. Didn't I tell you not to draw attention to yourselves?" Morgana said to Ryuji and Ryuji said to Morgana. "Wouldn't me suddenly turning into a good student stand out more?"

"Quit bickering and go." Morgana said before Ann said to the guys. "Then let's all choose all the TV station! I heard we're gonna get to watch them tape a show! Maybe there'll be actresses there!" Ryuji liked that idea and said. "Oh well. Not like I got anything better to do than waiting for info to come in online. Plus, Morgana's right. Showing up'll keep the teachers from getting all suspicious of me." Then the bell started to ring, letting everyone know lunch was over. "All right, I'm gonna head back." Ryuji said before Aqua said. "Me too, see you later." Then they went back to classrooms.

After school, it was raining and Ren ran into Kasumi, who was waiting for the rain to clear up. When Kasumi noticed Ren, she said to him. "Ah, Amamiya-senpai. What a pleasant surprise. It's really pouring down, isn't it?"

"I thought something like this would happen… So I snuck a collapsible umbrella into your bag!" Morgana whispered in the bag, as Kasumi turned back to the storm clouds. Ren pulled out the umbrella and whispered to him. "Thanks a bunch."

"Well, you do carry me and both of our Pokemon around in your bag all the time. I've gotta show my appreciation somehow!" Morgana said before Kasumi said to Ren. "Well, see you around."

"Won't you get wet, though?"

"Actually, I forgot my umbrella… But it's fine. I'll barely get wet if I run to the station! If anything, it'll make for good training."

"Care to walk together?" Ren said and Kasumi turned to Ren and said. "Huh? But how are…" She then noticed Ren's umbrella. "Oh, are you offering to share your umbrella?"

"Yes, I am."
"That'd be wonderful! Thank you so much!" Kasumi said before Ren unfolded his umbrella and they started to walk to the station. As they were walking together, Kasumi said to Ren. "Thanks again for letting me join you. To be honest, prelims are coming up soon, so I didn't want to take any chances of getting sick."

"Prelims?"

"Oh, the preliminary competition for gymnastics. Two huge competitions are coming up… one at the beginning of summer and one near the end. If I'm going to participate in the prelims, I have to be selected as my club representative… And there's a qualifier meet to determine who that rep will be. It's my dream to compete in gymnastics on the global level. So, I plan on maintaining a strict training regimen with my coach."

"I'll cheer you on."

"I'd be invincible if I had you cheering me on, Senpai!" Kasumi said before giggling a little. Then they reached the station and once they were inside, Kasumi said to Ren, who was folding his umbrella. "I'll be fine from here out. I can't thank you enough for today. I swear I'll return the favor some–" Kasumi said when they heard a surly male first-year talk to an intrigued female first-year. "Hey, isn't that Yoshizawa?"

"She gets the VIP treatment at school AND a boyfriend to escort her around? Miss Special Snowflake sure is living on easy street…" The intrigued female first-year said before the pair left. Kasumi then said to Ren. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to deal with a misunderstanding like that."

"Don't worry about it."

"Yeah, you're right! The same thing happens in class, too. People are often wary of me because I'm an honor student. The school's expecting me to attain strong results in the upcoming competitions, too. They even told me I didn't have to participate in the cleanup event… But I just don't like getting special treatment." Kasumi's phone then rang and after looking at that caller's idea, she said to Ren. "Oh, excuse me, my father's calling me." Kasumi then answered her phone and Ren heard her side of the conversation. "Hello? Dad? …What was that? Sorry, my phone's been acting up lately. It's okay, thanks. Mmhm. I'll see you later." Kasumi then said to Ren. "Sorry about that. He asked if I needed a ride since it's raining. A bit overprotective, don't you think?"

"You've got a great dad."

"Yes, I definitely agree. Well, I have to get to practice, so it's time for me to go. Thanks so much for today. Excuse me!" Kasumi said before bowing and leaving Ren.

The following day, when Ren and Aqua arrived at school they heard some student talking about something on a student message board. "...What's this? "A request to the student body"?" A hesitant female student said to a Dubious male student and a surprised female student. The surprised female student said to the other female student. "It says they're looking for information. I heard Principal Kobayakawa put it up."

"Please consult the student council president if you have any details." The hesitant female student said, reading the flier. Then the dubious male student said. "So we can go to her for anything? Why the student council president though? What does she have to do with Principal Kobayakawa?"

"I mean, Niijima-san is his favorite. Maybe that's why he asked her to do it." The surprised female student said to the others. Ren and Aqua then went to class, and chose to ignore the flier.

Later that day, as Ann was getting a drink from the school vending machines, she heard two girls talking to one another. "Sounds like the principal's trying to get info on the students. Why do you think he's doing that?"

"It's probably because of Mr. Kamoshida, right? Considering what happened with Suzui-san… I heard Principal Kobayakawa knew about the sexual harassment too and just turned a blind eye to it. I bet he wants to snuff out any rumors now. Even the volleyball team was told to keep quiet…"

"That's the worst… So that's what he's using Niijima-senpai for?"

"Oh yeah, rumor has it she knew as well. Isn't that horrible? She acts all noble about it too."

"Niijima-senpai knew…?" Ann said to herself, before leaving. After school, Makoto arrived at the room used for the student council and male member said to her. "President… What is the meaning of that posting?"

"My apologies for the confusion. Principal Kobayakawa put that up without my-" Makoto said but stopped when a female member said to her, reading a piece of paper. "We've already received some anonymous information. "I heard some students are getting threatened. I'm so scared… Please do something."

"What!?" Makoto said, surprised by that piece of paper. As Makoto took the paper, the male member said to Makoto, reading another piece of paper. "They have dirt on me, and they're demanding money. I can't go to the police… What should I do?" The male member then said to Makoto as she took that piece of paper too. "Isn't this talking about the crimes that have been rumored to be occurring in Shibuya?"

"So there are even victimes at our school… What should we do?" The female said to Makoto. Before Makoto could say anything, the male member said. "This isn't the responsibility of the student council. This is frightening for us too…" He then turned to Makoto and said. "Principal Kobayakawa called you in yesterday, right? Did he tell you anything about this?"

"Well, no… I'm going to talk to him about this right now. Don't worry. I'll do something about all of this…" Makoto said before placing the piece of paper down and left for the Principal's office. When she entered the office she said to the principal. "What is the meaning of this, Principal Kobayakawa? Why did you post that notice?"

"It was all for your sake. I thought the more information you had, the easier your investigation would become. And? Did any information arise about the case I asked you to look into?"

"Nothing yet. I will pass the details along if anything comes up. Right now, there is a more pressing issue… It appears there are students at Shujin who are being threatened by a criminal organization." Makoto said and that shocked the principal. She continued to speak. "A student who saw your posting came to us looking for help… I'd like to request a countermeasure."

"Isn't this some sort of mistake? I can't believe this would happen to the students of our academy. Now is no time for such problems. There is still lingering concern regarding the Phantom Thieves…"

"But we received a request for help…"

"I-I'm rather busy at the moment. If you wish to do something, you will need to act on your own."

"...Sir!? Are you sure about this? I am still investigating your case as well…"

"Y-Yes, that's correct. It works out perfectly! My intentions have borne fruit. This criminal organization must be the connecting factor. If you pursue this criminal issue, you'll surely find clues about the Phantom Thieves!"

"But that's absurd…"

"So… let's say this rumor is true. Do you intend to ignore those students in trouble?"

"I…"

"Your sister would have solved this easily if she were in your position. My expectations of you are very high. I hope you don't disappoint." The Principle said and Makoto went silent, then she left the Principle office.

Location; Inokashira Park

After school, Ren was at Inokashira Park with Kasumi. The two of them were in their gym clothes and were training. "Not bad, Amamiya-senpai. You're pretty flexible, and you catch on so fast! At this rate, you'll have the fundamentals down in a heartbeat." Kasumi said as they were taking a break. Ren was happy with the break, because his body is aching just from mimicking Kasumi's poses. Ren noticed that Kasumi was fine and said to her. "How are you not tired?"

"It's all about the harmony between the internal and external oblique muscles… I can't get enough of it!"

"Ok. Should we get back to it?"

"All right! Let's continue! Expert-level gymnastics are beautiful, but they demand a lot of stretching." Kasumi said before they started to stretch. After they had finished with the stretches, they took a seat on a bench and Kasumi said to Ren. "I think that's enough stretching for now. Good effort, Senpai! And, um… I'd like to continue with our training, but… I'm actually not doing so great at the moment, so I'm not sure I could manage anything too strenuous."

"Are you doing okay?"

"Oh, I'm not sick or anything… Physically, I'm doing perfectly fine. Do you remember how I said I wanted to talk to you about something? I've been feeling like… I'm stuck in this slump. No matter how much I practice, I just can't get better. I told my coach about it, but… She told me to take some time off from gymnastics. According to her, I need to think about who I really am. The idea isn't to stop doing gymnastics, just… she wants me to take a break."

"I see. So now…?"

"I've never had an issue that practice couldn't solve. But now… I have no idea what to do. So… um… I want you to help me, Amamiya-senpai. Even if we're not doing gymnastics, will you still keep going out with me!?"

"No problem."

"R-Really!? Thank you so much! I've heard my coach praising me. She says, "Kasumi's greatest weapon has always been her boldness." And honestly, that used to be true. I was totally fearless, confident… Gymnastics was a fun challenge. But ever since I started high school, I've been in a slump. I got taller, for one, and there were some other… complications. I can't move how I want anymore. Like it's not even my own body. I kind of fell into a depression. It got pretty bad. But when you helped me in Shibuya, something occurred to me… When I saw how fearless you are, how confident you are… I knew you were the right one for the job! If I stick with you, Senpai, I think I can learn how to be confident again!"

"Leave it to me."

"Great! Thank you!" Kasumi said before she laughed a little. Ren then said to her. "What's so funny?"

"You're a strange one, Senpai. I didn't think you'd accept. Well, I'll try and return the favor through our deal!" Kasumi said before her phone started to ring. "Oh, excuse me." Kasumi said before checking her phone. The ringing was an alert, and Kasumi said to Ren. "I should get going. I have a meeting with my coach! I need to get going for today… but I'll make sure you don't regret this!" Kasumo then got up and bowed before leaving. Shortly after she was gone, Ren left too.

Location; TV Station, Suidobashi

The following day, the second year's were on a field trip, so Ren, Ryuji, Ann, Morgana, and their Pokemon were in a TV Station, but it was kind of boring. Because the PR woman, who was giving the tour, was telling everyone what everyone already knew. "Could this get any more obvious?" Ann said to the others. Ren then said to her. "You're right."

"Hey, how much longer does this go?" Morgana said to the others as the PR women keep talking. Then a famous male newscaster pushed through everyone and said to the PR women. "What's going on? I can't stand all this noise."

"My apologies! I'll have them leave right away!" The PR woman and the male newscaster left. Then the PR woman said to the class. "Now then, it's time for a bit of hands-on experience!"

"Dammit… Who does that jerk think he is?" Ryuji said as he was angry at the male newscaster. Then a bossy AD guy, who looked sleazy, noticed Ann. He walked up to Ann and said to her. "Hey there. You wanna be on TV?"

"Huh?"

"You've got a slamming bod, after all."

"Uh… I'm on a school trip…"

"Just gimme a call if you're interested. I'd greatly welcome a message from you, day or night." The man said, giving Ann his phone number. Ann took it, but she was going to get rid of it the moment he was gone. "Greatly welcome, my ass. It's obvious what he's after. Do these rotten adults care about anything other than looks!? I'll yank their stupid hearts out, dammit!" Ryuji said to Ren and Morgana as the guy left. Morgana then said to Ryuji. "Will you quiet down!? You're supposed to be acting like good students today!"

"I understand you're bored, but please don't cause any trouble. Okay?" Kawakami, who was one of the supervisors for the class trip, said to Ryuji. Then they were given tasks to do. Once they were done, they entered a hallway and Ryuji said to the others. "I'm so pissed off! Aren't we supposed to be guests? Why the hell do we hafta be doing manual labor!? This is bullshit!"

"Quiet down, will you? I get how you feel though… That sucked for the both of us." Ann said to Ryuji. Ren then said to Ryuji. "Yeah, this stinks. I hope tomorrow is better."

"We gotta do more of this tomorrow too?" Ryuji said before Morgana said. "No flaking out, Ryuji."

"I know, I know. I gotta be a "good boy", right? Being phantom thieves ain't easy…" Ryuji said and then Ann said. "That reminds me, we get to go home straight from here today. We don't spend much time in this area, so why don't we relax and check out some shops beforehand?"

"Ooh, I know a place! I wanna go to that huge pancake-looking place we passed on the way here! It looked delicious! What was that?" Morgana said and then Ryuji said. "Ohhh… You mean Dome Town? The round part is a baseball stadium, then along the outside they've got an amusement park."

"It's right in the middle of a business area, but they have some pretty hardcore rides there too." Ann said and then Morgana said. "All right… Let's go! I'll show you just how courageous I am!"

"Going on a scary right doesn't really prove any kind of courage." Ann said to Morgana. Then Ryuji said to Morgana. "Not like cats can get on anyways."

"Really. You might be able to sneak in if you stay in the bag, but you'd totally puke if you did that. But uh… Let's just go to Dome Town! I'm really feeling it now!" Ryuji said to Morgana then the others. Ann then said to them. "Me too! My stomach's ready for roller coasters!"

"Uhhh… I think I'll pass on the puke rides…" Morgana said to the others. Then a pleasant looking boy passed by and when he saw them, he stopped and said to them as Morgana went back into Ren's bag. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice your uniforms. Are you all students of Shujin Academy?"

"Yeah, whaddya want?" Ryuji said to him and he said to them. "I happened to be passing by, so it seemed polite to greet you. We'll be filming together, after all." The guy said and then Ren said. "And you are?"
"Ah, where are my manners? My name is Goro Akechi. You can call me Akechi." The guy said to them. Ann then said to herself. "Akechi?"

"Filming? What, you a celebrity?" Ryuji said to Akechi and Akechi said to them. "Only to the extent of appearing on TV a couple of times." Ann then realized who he was. Then an alarm on Akechi's phone rang. He turned off the alarm and said to them. "My apologies, I truly was just passing by. I must be going. There's a briefing for tomorrow's recording that I have to attend."

"Then we'll see you tomorrow?" Ren said to Akechi and then Akechi said to them. "Yes, and I hope you enjoy those cakes. I missed lunch today, so I'm quite hungry myself…"

"Huh? Cakes? What're you talking about?" Ryuji said to Akechi and then Akechi said to them. "Oh, am I mistaken? I thought I heard something about delicious pancakes…"

"That was me. But we thought you were talking about actually cake, not pancakes." Ren said and then Akechi said. "I see. Well, see you tomorrow." Then Akechi left and once he was gone, Ryuji said to the others. "That guy's gotta be some kinda start-up entertainer or something. He's never gonna get popular with that kinda hair though."

"You don't get it…" Ann said to Ryuji, who then said. "Eh, it's fine. We'll see him again tomorrow anyway. C'mon let's go to Dome Town!" Ryuji said before they left for Dome Town. AS they were leaving, Morgana said to them. "H-Hey, can we skip the vomit machines and get cake instead?"

Location; Shujin Academy, Aoyama-Itchome

As for Aqua, she was done with school and was going home to train with her Pokemon. But not long after she left the school. She saw that Makoto was following her, and that meant she was spying on her. Aqua signed and went down to the train station. Makoto followed, but lost sight of Aqua at the platform. "Really? Trying to spy on me?" Aqua said as she appeared behind Makoto. Makoto was surprised and said turning to Aqua. "I'm not spying on you."

"Sure, you're not." Aqua said before turning away from Makoto. After a few seconds, Aqua sighed and said to Makoto. "You know. What you are doing isn't helping anyone. You know that, right?"

"I am helping the school."

"How is spying on me helping the school?" Aqua said and Makoto went silent. Aqua got the idea and said. "Oh… I see. The principal is making you do this. He wants you to find the Phantom Thieves and ignore everything less."

"That's not true."

"Is it?" Aqua said and Makoto went silent again. Aqua's train pulled up and once the doors opened, Aqua entered the train, but Makoto didn't. "If you really want to help people, then do something instead of just standing around on someone else's orders." Aqua said as the train doors closed and the train left, leaving Makoto alone. Once Aqua was gone, Makoto just stood there and said. "If only I could…" The area around her turned red. Makoto looked around and soon saw the Person in Red. Makoto looked at her and even though Makoto couldn't see her face, she could feel that the Person in Red was giving her a wicked smile.

Location; TV Station, Suidobashi

The following day, Ren, Ryuji, Ann, Morgana and their Pokemon were back at the station again, but this time they were watching a live show. During a commercial break, Akechi walked onto the stage and Ryuji said. "Ain't that the guy from yesterday?"

"And now, onto the "Hottest Meet-and-Greet" segment of our show… After his last appearance was so well-received, we decided to bring back this fine gentleman today. It's the high school detective, Goro Akechi!" A female host said as the commercial break was over. Akechi then said to her and the male host. "Hello there."

"Thank you for taking the time to join us today, Akechi-kun. Your popularity is stunning." The male host said to Akechi. Then Akechi said to him. "Even I've found it to be quite a surprise. It is a bit embarrassing though…"

"Moving along, we've been told there's a case on your mind right now. Care to share, detective?" The female host said to Akechi. Then Akechi said to her. "Ah, yes. That would be the scandal involving the master artist Madarame."

"There it is! All of this phantom thief excitement has caught your attention too, Akeachi-kun! Allow me to be blunt for just a second. What do you think of these justice-oriented Phantom Thieves?" The male host said to Akechi. Then Akechi said to him. "If they truly are heroes of justice, I sincerely hope they exist."

"Ohhh, so you don't deny the possibility that they're real?" The male host said to Akechi. Then Akechi said to him. "I may not seem like it, but I sometimes wish that Santa Claus actually existed. Although if he did, I'd have to arrest him for breaking and entering." Everyone laughed and then Akechi said. "But hypothetically speaking, if these Phantom Thieves are real… I believe they would be tried in a court of law." That surprised Ren and the others. Then the male host said to Akechi. "That's quite the statement. Are they committing crimes? Some people even say that the Thieves are actually helping their victims abandon their evil ways."

"What the artist Madarame did truly was an unforgivable crime. However, they are taking the law into their own hands by judging him. It is fat from justice. More importantly, you should never forcefully change a person's heart." Akechi said before the male host said. "You have a point. These people are calling themselves the Phantom Thieves, after all. Amazing as always, Akechi-kun! I could listen to you for days! You have the most radiant charisma!"

"I have to say thought, I would be embarrassed if it turns out these Phantom Thieves don't exist. If that were the case, I'd summarize it into a report as a school project." Akechi said and then the female host said to the audience. "Now then, let's try asking some students the same age as Akechi about the Phantom Thieves! First, please press your button now if you think the Phantom Thieves exist!"

"Of course they do!" Ryuji said before he and 17 people hit their buttons. The male host then said. "About 30% or so? What are your thoughts, Akechi-kun?"

"I'm a bit surprised. That's higher than I was expecting. I'd love to hear some more detailed opinions on the Phantom Thieves actions." Akechi said and the female host got up with a microphone and walked into the audience. "All right, let's try asking this student here." The female host said as she picked Ren. She then said to Ren. "Hypothetically speaking, what are your thoughts on these Phantom Thieves, if they were real?"

"I don't really know if they are real or not. But if they are real. They're necessary, because they are find criminals that act like Good Samaritans." Ren said, threw the microphone. Akechi then said looking at Ren. "Haha, I wasn't expecting that."

"This completely goes against the opinion you had about them being tried by law, Akechi-kun." The male host said to Akechi, and Akechi then said to Ren. "Indeed. It's rather intriguing to hear such a strong acknowledgement. In that case, there's one more question I'd like to ask… If someone close to you, for example, your friend next to you… If his heart suddenly changed… wouldn't you think it was the work of the Phantom Thieves?"

"No, because they only target criminals. And while my friend looks like a trouble maker, he's a bark and no bite." Ren said and then Ryuji said. "Hey!" Everyone laughed and then Akechi said. "Haha, no doubts at all. However, there is a large problem in your reasoning. Whether the Thieve's actions are good or not, I feel there is a more important issue at hand."

"Hm? What do you mean?" The male host as the female joined them. Akechi then said to everyone. "The matter of how they change people's hearts. If they honestly possess that ability… it could be used for more than extracting confessions. It could be that what seem to be ordinary crimes are actually being perpetrated by these methods…"

"You know, you're absolutely right." The male host said and then Akechi said. "Oh, please don't misunderstand. This is all purely hypothetical… It is only if people who can use such a power truly exist. Either way though, this cannot be ignored. The existence of the Phantom Thieves would be nothing but a threat to our everyday lives. To be honest, I'm already working alongside the police to help sort out this matter."

"That is very insightful, Akechi-kun. And while we would love to continue talking to you, we are out of time." The male host said and they started to wrap up the show. "It kinda seemed like what he was saying might be right…" Ann said to the others as they got up from their seats after the show was over and they were the last few to leave. Ryuji then said to the others. "He made it sound like we're the baddies. I don't like it."

"But that stuff about the police… Do you think it's for real?" Ann said to them and then Morgana said to them. "He can say whatever he wants. The justice of it all is something we can decide for ourselves."

"Do you have a moment?" Akechi said to Ren as he walked up to them. Morgana went back into Ren's bag and Ryuji and Ann left Ren alone with Akechi. Akechi then said to Ren. "I'm glad I found you. I wanted to thank you in person."

"Why?"

"To paraphrase Hegel, advancement cannot occur without both thesis and antithesis…"

"What?"

"Haha, my apologies. What I mean is that our discussion was quite meaningful."

"Really?"

"Few people around me are so willing to speak their minds as freely as you did earlier. Adults are only interested in using the young, while simply do as the adults say. There are too many irresponsible people in these modern times. I can understand why you'd support the Phantom Thieves. It's possible that this group is just as you believe and they are truly acting with good intentions. Since they have special talents, I assume their hearts must be burning with a sense of justice and duty… But that justice is merely a facade concealing their lack of true strength. That's why I believe, if a truly powerful opponent were to corner them, they would flee without a second thought."

"I don't think they would run. I think they will fight to the end."

"Oh…? You really are intriguing. I bet you'd make for a worthwhile debate partner on the subject. If it's alright with you, would you continue sharing your thoughts with me?"

"That's fine by me."

"Thank you, that's great news. I sense something in you that's quite different from other people. I guess you can call it my detective's intuition? Haha, kidding, of course."

"Do you want to exchange contact info?"

"Yes." Akechi said and they exchanged contact info. Once they were done, Akechi said to Ren. "...And, registered. Well, I hope to see you again sometime soon." Akechi then left and as Ren was meeting up with the others, Morgana said to Ren. "A detective's intuition, huh? We shouldn't underestimate that. On the other hand, there's an awful lot we could learn from him. If he contacts you, try hanging out with him." Ren then met up with everyone and they all went home. However unknown to them, the Person in Red was watching them threw a window she made, and she was holding a card that represented the Justice Persona. She looked at the card and said. "Thanks for the help."

Location; Shujin Academy, Aoyama-Itchome

The following day at school, Ren and his friends weren't happy. After Akechi's interview, people were discussing if the Phantom Thieves were real or not and just or not. And while the real or not was still up in the air. People were agreeing with Akechi, some because of his reasoning and other because he was a famous detective. So during lunch break, they all met in the area with the vending machines and Ryuji, who was really mad, said to everyone. "...Man, that detective from yesterday really pissed me off! We're some kinda threat? Let's see him do it, then! If someone else could help them, we wouldn't be doing stuff as the Phantom Thieves to start with!"

"You're being way too loud." Ann said before she hit the back of Ryuji's head. Ryuji ripped the back of his head and then said. "Who cares? Everybody's talking about this stuff anyways. It'd just be more suspicious if we were whispering."

"Yeah, but you could be quiet about our involvement." Aqua said before Morgana said. "Aqua's right. The police are getting involved now, you know."

"So you think it's true? We'll be okay if we keep doing this… right?" Ann said before Ryuji said. "We can't let the cops scare us outta being phantom thieves."

"But… what about that weird guy from Madarame's Palace? Isn't there a lot we don't know?" Ann said and then Makoto appeared and she said to them. "You four seem to be having so much fun. I'm a little jealous."

"Are you snooping on us again? We said before, we don't know nothing." Ryuji said to her and Makoto said to them. "Why do you think I'm here to question you? Could it be that you're hiding something?"

"We are hiding nothing." Aqua said and then Makoto said. "Ok. But my ears are always open to the troubles of my peers, you know."

"You're really that hungry for a good letter of recommendation? Of course you are. Nobody would take on your annoying job if they weren't." Ann said to Makoto and Makoto said to Ann. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"...You're the student council president, right? Wouldn't you have known about Kamoshida?"

"Of course not! He honestly was a good teacher until that day…"

"Oh, but you always take the teacher's side. That's what a good council president does, right?"

"Then… how about you? What did you do for your friend? You were much closer to her than I was, so how did you help?"

"There wasn't any way to help! By myself… I couldn't do anything for her!"

"There's no need to shout." Makoto said to Ann. Then Ryuji said to Makoto. "If those Phantom Thieves are out there helping people… I'd root for them no questions asked. They've gotta be more dependable than some people I know."

"...Just make sure you show up to your classes, all right?" Makoto said before she left them. Then Ann said to everyone. "You know what I asked earlier about whether we'll be okay if we keep this up? I take it back. I'd be ashamed to let it end now…"

"Hell yeah. It's about time we find our next target too." Ryuji said and everyone was pumped up, but they didn't know that something was watching them.

Location; Shibuya Teikyu Building Accessway

After school they met up with Yusuke, who had some luggage and the Sayuri wrapped in a piece of cloth. Yusuke was on his phone and Aqua said. "What are you doing Yusuke?"

"I am reading online comments about us." Yusuke said and then Ryuji said. "What are they saying?"

"The comments are coming in at an alarming rate. However, negative ones seem to be more prominent." Yusuke said to them, and then Ryuji said. "It's prolly because of Akechi… Tv's got some crazy sway."

"He's free to deny our actions, but being cursed by his influence is another thing entirely." Yusuke said, putting his phone away. Ann then said to everyone. "Just when we were starting to get people to believe in us too…"

"All we gotta do is take down another hot shot, yeah?" Ryuji said before Yusuke said to Ryuji. "...Well, do you have any idea who this next "hot shot" could be?"

"I ain't got a thing yet… Dammit, this is really irritating… By the way, what's up with that luggage?"

"Oh, I decided to leave the school dorms. They were not only filthy, but too noisy as well… No true art could come from such a place."

"What're you gonna do then? You can't go back to the shack, right?"

"I was planning on staying at Kangofu-san, I mean Aqua's house." Yusuke said, surprising Aqua. Yusuke then said to Aqua. "I've even prepared a thank-you gift. I hope it's to your Pokemon's liking."

"Yusuke. I am not letting you stay at my place, ever." Aqua said to Yusuke, who then said. "Impossible…"

"You're the impossible one!" Ryuji said to Yusuke. Then Yusuke said to them. "But I spent everything I had on these delectable Japanese sweets…"

"That's not the issue here! Seriously though… what're we gonna do about him?" Ann said to Yusuke then the others. Then Morgana said. "Well, seeing as Yusuke is an important member of our team… I'll lend a hand! Come stay at our place! It's dirty, but at least you'll have somewhere to sleep!" Ren was surprised with what Morgana just said and Ryuji said to Morgana. "Why're you the one calling the shots?"

"Don't you two live in a cafe? I've been wondering about that for a while. Yongen's not too far, is it?" Ann said to Ren and Morgana and Morgana said to her. "Nope! And the cafe is only a minute walk from the station."

"How about we go there now?" Ann said and then Aqua said. "Then after that, we can go to my place and have a party to celebrate Madarame's change of heart!"

"Ooh, good idea! We can make it a welcome party for Yusuke too!" Ryuji said before Ann said. "All right, it's decided!" Then everyone started to walk to the train, and Yusuke said to Ren. "Sorry to cause you trouble. By the way… I prefer sleeping on a futon."

"It'll be up to you to convince the chief." Morgana said to Ren as Yusuke joined the others. Ren wasn't happy with Morgana and shook the bag a little before joining the others.

Location; Leblanc, Yongen-Jaya

"Ah, what a nice smell…" Ann said as they arrived and entered the cafe. After they looked around, Ryuji said. "This place looks so outdated… I can't say I hate it though."

"People refer to that as "retro." Yusuke said to Ryuji. Then Sojiro noticed everyone and said to Ren and Aqua. "Hm? Who're they?"

"They are our friends." Aqua said and then Ann said to Sojiro. "Hello! Ren and Aqua have really helped us a lot lately."

"Heh, I bet you're the ones doing all the helping."

"No, really, they've been great."

"Huh… Sit down. This round'll be on the house. You two are helping though." Sojiro said to Ren and Aqua, and then Ren said to Sojiro. "You got it Boss." Then Sojiro made coffee for everyone, with Ren and Aqua's help. After Ann had a taste of her coffee, she said to everyone. "Wow… It's delicious."

"Indeed, there's great depth to its acidity." Yusuke said before Ann said. "Oh yeah, I remember now! I think I've seen Leblance mentioned in a magazine before…"
"That was a long time ago." Sojiro said and then Ryuji said. "For real? Gimme a taste." Ryuji took a sip of the coffee, but didn't like it. After taking a sip of water, Ryuji said to everyone. "It's so bitter! This has gotta be cruel and unusual punishment!"

"Eh, I didn't drink coffee when I was a kid either." Sojiro said to them. Sojiro then said to Ren. "These're your friends, yeah? Go on and take them up to your room. No need to stay down here."

"Ooh, I wanna see!" Ann said and then Sojiro said. "It's only an attic."

"Thank you very much for the drink." Yusuke said before he and the others followed Ren up to his room. But not Ann, she said to Sojiro. "Oh, and before we forget. We have a favor to ask."

"A favor?"

"Yes, our friend Yusuke, the guy with the luggage, doesn't have a place to stay. So can he stay here?"

"Sure. I don't think the kid will mind a roommate,"

"Thanks, Sojiro-san." Ann said as she soon joined the others. "Huh, sweet girl." Sojiro said to himself. In Ren's room the guys had checked out Ren's room, and Ren said to them. "What do you think of my room?"

"Whaddya think of this room? I dunno where to begin…" Ryuji said before Yusuke said. "It seems quite ordinary to me."

"For real?" Ryuji said before Ann entered Ren's room. Ann looked around and then said. "It's cleaner than I thought it would be."

"Alright, if we're done looking at Ren's room. Let's take a seat and talk about our next move. Everyone took a seat, but not Yusuke. He looked at his phone and said. "We're all over the news. Even those who previously believed in us have been influenced by the comments made on TV."

"This is all that effing Akechi's fault!" Ryuji said with a loud angry tone. Yusuke put his phone away and said to Ryuji. "Keep it down. We don't want anyone hearing us."

"At this rate we;re just going to worry everyone instead of giving them courage…" Ann said and then Morgana. "We need to find a way to make our rightfulness known to society. It's time we think about our next move. You were planning on discussing that today, right?"

"Yes. First, we need to search for a candidate." Yusuke said and then Ryuji said. "It's not like we're just gonna stumble upon some important target though. You guys don't know anyone, do you?"

"I don't…" Ann said before Yusuke said. "Me neither…"

"Same." Aqua said and then Ryuji said to Ren. "Whaddya think, Leader?"

"I think we need to sleep on it." Ren said and then Aqua said to him. "You sure?"

"Yes. We need a target that will help people see that we are just, and not criminals. So for now I would like you guys to keep an eye on Mishima's site, about the news, and about anything else." Ren said and Ryuji said. "I knew you were gonna say that! Seriously… That's so like you!"

"But… what else can we do?" Ann said and then Ryuji said. "Dammit… We're never gonna prove Akechi wrong at this rate!" Then Yusuke's stomach growled and Morgana said. "What the…"

"Sorry… I haven't eaten anything since yesterday…" Yusuke said and then Aqua said. "What about your Pokemon?

"I fed them the Pokemon food you gave me, and they are never hungry." Yusuke said to Aqua. Then Ann said. "And you spent all your money on that box of sweets!?"

"Dude, how much did you have?" Ryuji said and then Ann said. "Anyway, we'll just have to sit tight until we can find another target. So, how about that welcome party?"

"Someone's excited." Ryuji said, looking at Ann. "Isn't that a portable stove?" Ann said with a smile and a laugh as she pointed to a portable stove that Ren had on one of the shelves. Ann then said to everyone. "Can't we make hot pot on it?"

"That sounds great! I've heard that eating hot pot together brings people closer!" Morgana said and then Aqua said. "And if we do it at my place, the Pokemon can join us too. After all, they are part of our team too."

"That a great idea Aqua. And anything with meat's fine by me!" Ryuji said before Yusuke said. "I only ask that we finish it off with porridge. Extra parsley, of course."

"So, what do you say?" Ann said to Ren and Ren said. "It's all fine with me. I will bring the portable stove and a pot for the hot pot to Aqua's place. Can you guys get the rest of the ingredients?"

"You got it." Aqua said before she, Ann, and Ryuji left the cafe. Once they were gone, Morgana said to Ren. "Looks like this welcome party is going to turn out quite lively."

"Yes indeed." Ren said before grabbing the stove and then went down stairs. "I heard you're all having hot pot for dinner at Aqua's place." Sojiro said to Ren just as he appeared down the steps. Ren walked over to Sojiro and said. "Yes we are. But how do you know?"

"Your friends told me as they were leaving. Oh and that girl. Her name was Ann, right?"

"Yes."

"She's a nice girl."

"She is. But why do you say that?"

"She said your friend doesn't have anywhere to go. Asked if I could take him in for a bit. I guess she thought it's be too pitiful for you to ask, since you're already freeloading."

"Ok. And do you have a pot we can use for the hot pot?"

"Hmm… Where did I put that pot? Try looking around." Sojiro said and Ren checked the kitchen. It took a little time, but Ren found a pot for the hot pot. Ren then left with it and went to Aqua's house.

Location; Makoto's Apartment

As Ren and his friends were getting ready to have fun and eat a warm meal together. Makoto was eating a meal with her sister Sae, who wasn't talking to Makoto. The atmosphere was ice cold and it made the meal feel cold too. And the only sound was the tv that was playing the interview with Akechi. Sae broke the ice by saying. "So, a lot has happened. Has your grades been dropping?"

"No. School's been going fine. I'm more worried about you, Sis. Are you tired? You're probably lacking sodium."

"Do I seem so?" Sae said before they heard what Akechi said during the interview. Then Makoto said to Sae. "...Is it a crime to manipulate someone's hearts?"

"...Depending on the means, yes. He's absolutely right."

"Even if it makes someone admit their evil deeds and helps make them pay for their crimes?"

"Why the sudden interest?"

"It's nothing…"

"Do you believe that these "allies of justice" exist?"

"...Of course not."

"You don't need to think about such unnecessary things. …You understand what I'm trying to say, right?"

"Study hard and go to a prestigious college…"

"Moving up in the world is difficult as a woman. Yet, you can't do much if you don't have the authority. It'll use every method necessary to make it happen. All you need to do is remain focused on what must be done now for your future's sake."

"...Sorry." Makoto said before Sae's phone rang. "Now?" Sae said with a sigh. Sae got up from the table and left the room to answer the phone. "What must be done…" Makoto said thinking about what had happened to her recently. And once Sae was gone, Makoto pulled out a Pokeball from her pocket. Makoto tightened her grip on the Pokeball and when she met up with Ren again, she would start a problem for the Phantom Thieves.

Location; Aqua's House, Yongen-Jaya

But for right now, the Phantom Thieves had finished grocery shopping, and they had all regrouped at Aqua's house and went into the basement. "Already. Come on out everyone." Aqua said letting out Brionne, Fletchinder, Phanpy and Wooper. "You too guys." Ren said letting Rockruff, Zorua, Frigibax and Rowlet. "I won't forget you guys." Ryuji said letting out Luxio, Grimer, and Larvitar. "Me either." Ann said letting out Pyroar, Ponyta, Buneary, and Helioptile. "Nor will I." Yusuke said, letting Litwick, Smeargle, and Vulpix out. "You too," Morgana said, letting out Nincada and Meowth. All of the Pokemon were happy and while some played together. The other Pokemon were helping their trainers with the hot pot. "It's nice to see Helioptile is doing better." Aqua said to Ann as Helioptile was playing with the others. Ann then said to Aqua. "Yeah, after hearing that Madarame wasn't going to hurt him anymore. He started to feel better."

"That's good to hear." Aqua said before the guys brought the Pokemon food and the hot pot was ready. After a few minutes everyone had their fill. Ryuji said to everyone. "I can't eat another bite…"

"Yeah, but this was a fun idea." Aqua said with a big smile. Everyone had fun and now Ann was even sleeping with the Pokemon, who were also asleep. The only ones awake were Aqua and her Brionne, Ren and his Rockruff, Morgana and his Nincada, Ryuji and his Luxio, and Yusuke and Litwick. "She's asleep already!?" Morgana said and then Ryuji said. "It'd be weird if she wasn't tired. We should let her sleep."

"By the way, Ryuji… how do you know Ann?" Yusuke said to Ryuji and Ryuji said to them. "Huh? Oh, we went to middle school together."

"What was Lady Ann like back then?" Morgana said to Ryuji and then Ryuji said. "Not so different from now. Once we got to high school, we ended up in different classes and stopped talking… I don't think she had many friends. I mean she grew up overseas, plus there's her looks. The popular kids hate her; the quiet ones stay away."

"I see… So, what about you three?" Yusuke said to them. Then Ryuji said. "Us?"

"This is a great opportunity to get to know each other better. You know every detail of my past at this point. It's only fair if you tell me every detail of yours." Yusuke said and then Ryuji said. "So you got nothing to lose, huh?"

"Ok, I'll go first. Mine is simple. I don't have one, like Morgana." Aqua said and everyone looked at her and Ren said to her. "What do you mean?"

"I never did tell you, did I? I have a case of amnesia."

"Amnesia? Really?" Ryuji said and then Aqua said. "Yeah. I remember bass things, but everything about myself before Ms Kangofu found me washed ashore on Melemele Island was gone, and still is."
"And how long was that ago?" Yusuke said and then Aqua said. "About two years ago."

"That must have been awful." Ryuji said before Aqua said. "At the start, yes. But I feel better now. After all, I have a lot of wonderful new memories thanks to all of my Pokemon. Now Ryuji, it's your turn."

"All right, I'll tell you. It's just a normal story about a rotten kid though. My dad left when I was young… Ever since then it's just been me and my mom. I was actually trying to get a track scholarship so I could make things easier for her. In the end, I just screwed it all up. Turns out I'm a pretty bad son, huh?"

"Why would you say that?" Aqua said before Ryuji said. "Back when I was a first-year, my mom got called out to school for me raising my hand at Kamoshida. All the teachers kept hounding her for what I did, but she just stayed quiet through it all… I'll never forget the look she had on her face though… On the way home, she… she apologized to me. For being a single mom and all…"

"So that's what happened… They say at school that everyone is equal, but in reality that's a gross oversimplification… I understand how you feel." Yusuke said and then Ryuji said. "Well, when it comes to getting labeled, nobody's got it worse than Ren."

"Is this about his past?" Yusuke said before Morgana said. "Now that I think about it, we never have heard the details."

"All right. It all started when I was going home late. When I heard a man and a woman fighting. I got closer and the man was drunk and was bothering the woman. She looked in danger, so I couldn't ignore her. The moment I got close to them, the drunk man noticed me and tried to punch me. But he tripped and fell. He hurt himself and blamed me. The woman tried to stop him, but he had something over her. Something involving money. So when the cops came, he accused me of assault, and the woman sided with him. I was taken to court, found guilty and then sent here." Ren said and then Ryuji said, hitting the table. "Just listening to it pisses me off… Goddammit! You got an assault on your record just for that?"

"The woman sounds quite horrible as well. She's stayed quite this whole time…" Yusuke said before Morgana said. "That man is just the kind of person whose heart we should steal! Who is he, and where can we find him!?"

"I have no clue. It was night, so I didn't get a good look at him. His lawyers were the only ones that showed at the court hearings. And I never learned his name either." Ren said before Aqua said. "Is there any way to find him?"

"The victim's personal information is always kept secret. Identifying that man will prove difficult… Besides, the courts already made their ruling, didn't they? Even if we manage to get revenge, Ren's past record won't go away." Yusuke said and then Ryuji said. "I can't stand it… This world is so messed up! The weak are left to fight for themselves, while rotten adults get away with whatever they want!"

"And those in power don't do anything to help the situation." Morgana said before Yusuke said. "Can't we fix this though? Nobody would even know… We just need to show the world what true justice is. We'll make them come to their senses."

"You're right, Yusuke! That's gotta be what our powers are for!" Ryuji said getting up. Morgana then said. "Sounds good to me. The flashier our missions are, the cooler we end up looking!" Then Yusuke said. "You've all taught me so much."

"...What're you guys getting all excited about?" Ann said as she and the Pokemon were up. "Oh, sorry… Did we wake you up?" Ryuji said as Ann and the Pokemon joined them. Ann then said to everyone. "Nah, not really. I've been up for a while now. Still, this weird feeling came over me while I was listening to you guys… It almost feels like I've known you all forever… Do you think it's because our backgrounds are so similar?"

"Well… it sure ain't because of anything good." Ryuji said before Ann said. "All joking aside… let's take this seriously. We should go as far with it as we can… I want to punish those corrupt adults and give courage to people in trouble… Only we can do that!"

"You can say that again!" Ryuji said and then Yusuke said. "Being a member of the Phantom Thieves will surely help me grow, both as an artist and as a person."

"Of course. You're under me tutelage after all. There's nothing we can't accomplish!" Morgana said and then Ann said. "Well… I hope we can keep this up. We should be all right with Ren as our leader."

"Leave it to me." Ren said and then Ann noticed the time. "...Whoa, it's this late?" Ann said and then Ryuji said. "I guess now's a good time to call it for the night!"

"Ok, Ren, did you ask Boss if Yusuke can stay at your place?" Aqua said and then Ann said. "Oh, that reminds me! Sojiro-san said you're free to crash here, Yusuke."

"That's… very kind of him." Yusuke said and then Ryuji said to Ann. "You convinced him, didn't you? You go, Miss Older-Dude-Charmer!"

"What kind of nickname is that!?" Ann said, angrily at Ryuji with her Pokemon backing her up. As Ryuji laughed, Aqua said to Ann. "Ann, ignore Ryuji. Besides, shouldn't you guys get going?"

"Yeah, Aqua's right." Ryuji said before he got up. Ryuji returned his Pokemon to their Pokeballs and said. "Later."

"Goodbye and good night." Ann said as she got up and returned her Pokemon to their Pokeballs. After Ren and Yusuke help Aqua clean up, they return to Leblanc. However they didn't know that the Person in Red was watching threw another window she made, and with her was Melmetal. Then the Person in Red closed the window and she started to fade out. This time it was her whole left arm, and Melmetal then said to her. [My lady we should go.]

"Very well, Melmetal." The Person in Red said before her arm returned and she opened a portal to another location. Before they walked through the portal, Melmetal said to the Person in Red. [You know this plan could destroy everything you are trying to accomplish.]

"Yes, but if this plan works. Then Phantom Thieves will be one step closer to my target." The Person in Red said before walking through the portal. [I hope you're right.] Melmetal said before following the Person in Red into the portal before it closed.

Location; Leblanc, Yongen-Jaya

The following morning, Yusuke was the first to awoke and Sojiro gave him some coffee. "It's such a delight to enjoy coffee of this quality." Yusuke said to Sojiro and Sojiro said to him. "You could stay until you find a place, you know. I can't promise it'll be comfortable here though."

"Thank you, but I'll be returning to the dorms. I realized something after talking with everyone last night. Perhaps it's due to my upbringing, but I don't know anything of the world, let alone other people. If I'm to depict people in my art, I need to learn more about them; I must interact with them more. I'll return to the dorms… and start over by talking with people closest to me."

"I see. Good on you for realizing that yourself."

"There's no need to exaggerate. May I come again some time to enjoy your coffee?"

"My doors are always open."

"Ren's been through a lot too, from what I've heard… Are you related to him?"

"Huh? Oh… How would I describe it… We're just acquaintances. Not family or anything."

"I may be overstepping my bounds, but why did you decide to take him in?"

"My reason, huh… Probably because… he reminds me of my old self."

"That's all?"

"You know how it is. Sympathy makes you do stupid things sometimes. Your art instructor… Um, "former" art instructor… He must've felt something for you too, besides just stealing your talents."

"Truth be told… I cannot hate him from the depths of my heart either. I should probably get going…"

"Hey, are you sure about this? The painting, I mean. It'd be a waste to keep here." Soijro said as Yusuke had hung the Sayuri close to the cash register. Yusuke then said to Soijro. "Even if I kept it at the dorms, it'd only be met with skepticism. I doubt it would want that. Adding a hint of color to an otherwise ordinary day… I'm sure my mother would've done the same."

"...I see. I'll hold on to it for you then."

"Thank you for the coffee. …I'll come again." Yusuke said before getting up and leaving with his stuff. Ren then woke up and didn't see Yusuke or his Pokemon. "...You're finally awake." Morgana said to Ren and Ren said to him. "Where's Yusuke and his Pokemon?"

"They weren't around when I woke up. They must be downstairs." Morgana said and then Ren went downstairs. Once Ren came down, Sojiro saw him and said. "...You're finally up. You know it's past noon."

"Sorry. Hey, have you seen Yusuke?"

"That kid ended up going back to his dorms. He left this painting before he took off, though. Supposedly to thank us for taking care of him." Sojiro said and Ren noticed the Sayuri on the wall. Sojiro then said to Ren. "It's rare to see a kid acting so grateful these days. And this painting is amazing. Not only is the mother stunning, but the expression on her face… The regulars will probably freak out when they see it in here. Still… I feel like I've seen it somewhere. It's a bit different from how I remember it, though… Well… If you're up for the day, go on and get dressed. You are helping me in the shop today." Sojiro said and Ren quickly got ready for work, not knowing that soon the Phantom Thieves would soon have their next target thrust upon them.

And done, sorry for the wait for this post, but I was out of my home country for a while, and I'm starting a new job. I am still going to do my Fanfiction, but it will just take longer now, so please be patient and don't ask me to post soon. I'll post them when they are ready, and not before. Oh, and before you ask. Makoto's mystery Pokemon isn't a Cyclizar. I give Makoto one later in the story, but it isn't her starter Pokemon. I'll explain the reasoning for her starter Pokemon in the next chapter, because I'll show off Makoto's Pokmeon then. See you next time.