Prologue: Night of the Zeroeth Day

All throughout Romani Ranch, the sights and smells of harvest time hung heavily in the air. Pokemon busily rushed about, gathering freshly plucked vegetables and berries into baskets. Overhead, the leaves on the trees were just beginning to change colors, signaling the start of summer’s slow transition into autumn.

Near the edge of the farmland, a Mareep grunted with exertion, forcing one shaky hoof in front of another as a cart rattled around behind him. The cart was only big enough to hold a couple baskets full of berries, but it still felt plenty heavy despite that.

His gaze drifted to his side. His older sister, a Flaaffy, was barely breaking a sweat as she lugged around a slightly larger cart. And up ahead, a much larger cart laden with almost a dozen baskets of berries trailed along behind a Rapidash. They made it look so easy. The Mareep redoubled his effort, not wanting to lag behind.

“Ah told ya that ya didn’t have to try carrying that, Dan,” his sister chided teasingly. “Clock Town’s an awful long way to haul cargo like this. Epona and I could’a handled it just fine, and let you just walk alongside us to watch out for thieves. You don’t wanna be too tired to enjoy the festival the next few days, do ya?”

The Mareep shook his head. “A-Ah’m… not a kid anymore, Willow. Ah’m strong enough to… help out with this too.” The defiance in his voice was undercut a bit by the way he had to keep pausing to catch his breath.

His cart jostled a bit as one of the wheels hit a small dip in the road, and Dan let out a startled bleat. He glanced over his shoulder, relieved to see that none of his cargo had toppled out.

Willow shook her head, a fond grin on her face. “A’right, a’right. If yer sure, Dandelion.”

A faint blush lit up the Mareep’s face at the use of his full name. Willow let out a soft chuckle, reaching over to rustle the wool on her brother’s back. All the while, Epona stayed silent, opting not to butt into the siblings’ conversation. Not that she tended to speak up all that often anyway.

Slowly, the trio continued their trek. Dan panted tiredly, gazing all around at the surroundings to take his mind off his heavy load.

A sudden flash of movement in the air drew the Mareep’s eye. He turned to look, spotting a Ninjask and Venomoth hovering overhead. The bug-types were both girded with light, leafy cloaks. As soon as they noticed they’d been spotted, the duo fluttered away, flying off further south toward the Woodfall Swamp.

Dan kept staring off in that direction for a moment, feeling a bit of apprehension run up his spine, before he turned towards his sister. “H-Hey… W-Willow?” he panted out.

“I saw ’em,” Willow answered. “More o’ them Deku Kingdom weirdos, looks like.” She frowned pensively, a bit of static crackling in her wool. “Those bugs have been hovering around here a lot lately, for some reason.”

Dan gulped. “Y-You don’t think they’re… planning anything, do you?”

Epona let out a dismissive snort. “…Probably just berry thieves.”

Willow nodded. “Suppose I can’t blame ’em too much for looking for more food. I’ve heard ’round town that Woodfall’s been getting even more inhospitable, lately.” She glanced back over her shoulder at the path behind them. “They’re gonna be disappointed, though. The farmhands should be able to finish gathering most of the crop up tonight, and Epona and I will make sure everything’s locked up good and tight when we come back to refill the carts again tomorrow.”

“A-Alright…” Dan couldn’t help but feel a little nervous about it all, regardless. But he trusted his sister’s judgment.

Soon, the small group started to leave the ranch’s property behind, reaching the vast expanse of Termina Field. Clock Town was easily visible in the distance, its namesake clock tower proudly sticking out high over the town’s walls.

Some ways off the beaten path, amid the patches of forest that led south towards the Woodfall region, an odd-looking cluster of trees stood out from the rest, their bark and leaves all completely pale white. An unnatural darkness shrouded the space between those trees, as if an unseen force was swallowing up any light that came too close.

No matter how many times Dan saw it, the sight of that mystery dungeon never failed to make him feel uneasy. At least it was easy enough to avoid, even for those that actually wanted to go out that way, but still.

They were just so… unnatural. Very few pokemon ever dared to go inside them and try to find out what kinds of things might lurk within. And as far as Dan knew, nobody had ever seen the end of a mystery dungeon. Assuming they even had an end at all. Most who tried venturing into one tended to come back badly hurt… if they came back at all.

Dan shuddered a bit. He shook his head, pointedly turning his gaze back towards Clock Town again and trying his best to focus on the task at hand.

As the trio slowly grew closer to town, they started to see many more pokemon flocking towards the town from all over Termina. Not that that was much of a surprise. The Festival of Time was only four days away, after all. Three, after tonight was over.

Eventually, the group finally rolled up to Clock Town’s southern gate, just as the sun was just beginning to set. Mercifully, the guards didn’t hold them up for very long, briefly inspecting the group’s cargo before stepping aside and letting them pass.

After a few minutes, the trio managed to reach their destination: a robust shop in West Clock Town’s commercial district. The Kecleon shopkeeper there was a longtime acquaintance, having had an amicable business relationship with Romani Ranch for years now.

As the Kecleon started checking the baskets of berries, Dan eagerly shrugged his way out of his cart’s harness. He was glad the hard part was finally over now. His legs had felt like they were just about ready to give out, after the long trek here. Maybe he really should have listened to Willow about leaving this to her and Epona, after all.

He felt a soft tap on his side. He turned to look, finding Willow smiling warmly at him. “Hey,” she started, “Nice job. You did pretty good, carryin’ that all that way without even a bit of complaint. Ya really are growing up.”

Dandelion felt a bit of blood rush to his cheeks, and he returned Willow’s smile with a tired grin of his own. “T-Thanks, sis.”

The Flaaffy turned her gaze towards the eastern part of Clock Town. “You know, you could start headin’ over to the inn now, if ya want. Epona and I can catch up after we finish up here.”

Dan thought about it for a moment, before nodding. “A’right.” It would mean walking across town again, which would be a little unpleasant for his aching hooves. But once he made it there and got their reservation sorted out, he could rest in the comfort of their room there for the rest of the evening. And besides, he knew Willow wouldn’t need any help with all of the business talk here.

After exchanging a brief nuzzle, the siblings split up for now, Dan slowly making his way off towards the inn.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Clock Town, residents and tourists to the town alike were all busily going about their business. Some were checking out the various shops and other diversions that the town had to offer. Others were flocking to the town’s bar, just as it prepared to open for the evening. And others still simply wanted to head back to their homes to relax after a long day’s work.

“Eep! Watch out!”

…And then there was Runia.

The Snowshrew rolled swiftly along the street, swerving to the side just in time to avoid slamming into a particularly stuffy-looking Slowking’s leg. “Sorry about that!” she called out, though it was muffled a bit since she was still curled into a ball. She didn’t slow down, though, continuing to weave around passersby and leaving annoyed and confused pokemon in her wake.

Eventually, the Snowshrew slammed into a wall. She rebounded with a pained yelp, uncurling from her ball and falling onto her back with a painful thud. She laid there for a long moment, holding a paw to her head. “Ow… Guess this is probably what I deserve for trying to roll through town like that.”

With a soft groan, Runia managed to right herself again, looking around at the surroundings to try and figure out where she was. “Okay… The guards up at the north gate said the inn was in East Clock Town…” she muttered out loud to herself, not seeming to notice or care about the odd looks she was getting. “This… should be the right area? I think? The buildings look like the sort of thing they described…”

Runia herself would be the first to admit that her sense of direction was not her strong suit. For all she knew, she could be in the complete wrong end of town right now. She wouldn’t have been that surprised, honestly. But after a few seconds of looking around, she spotted a small wooden sign that simply read “Stock Pot Inn”. The Snowshrew pumped a claw in the air triumphantly, pleased that she’d managed to find the building she was looking for after all.

Gently nudging open the inn’s door, Runia stepped inside and took a look around the lobby. Between the soft welcome mat resting under her tired feet, and a well cared for potted plant sitting off in the corner, the whole inn gave off a cozy, inviting sort of feeling.

The innkeeper, an Eevee, seemed to be busy talking with a Mareep about his reservation. The Eevee took a moment to look through a small notebook sitting in front of her, before digging out a room key and passing it to the Mareep. With the key now carried in his mouth, the Mareep nodded warmly to the innkeeper before starting towards the stairs.

As the Mareep walked away, the Eevee slumped tiredly in place, only to abruptly notice Runia standing in the doorway a moment later. With an almost unnoticeable sigh, she pushed herself back up and gave the best attempt at a smile she could manage. “Hello, and welcome to the Stock Pot Inn.” She glanced down at her little notebook again. “Your name is?”

“Runia!” the Snowshrew replied cheerily. “Or Runey for short, if you like! What’s your name?”

The Eevee chuckled softly to herself at the ice-type’s enthusiasm. “Anju,” she replied as she looked through her list. After a few moments, the Eevee frowned. “It doesn’t look like you have a reservation…”

Runia shook her head and pulled out a small pouch of coins she’d brought with her. “Nope. I do have a bit of poké with me, though, so…” She trailed off as she noticed the apologetic look on the innkeeper’s face.

“I’m really sorry,” Anju said, “but if you don’t have a reservation then there isn’t much I can do. With the Festival of Time coming up, we’ve got a lot of people coming in from out of town, and every last room we’ve got is already booked.”

“Oh.” Well, there went that plan, then. “Is there anywhere else in town I could check, in that case?”

The Eevee bit her lip. “…Unless you know someone in town that you can ask to stay with for a while, I’m not sure what to tell you. I really doubt you’ll find anywhere that has room at this point otherwise. At least, without paying an arm and a leg for it, anyway.”

There was a pensive silence for a few seconds, Runia frowning a bit as she thought about what to do.

…And then, despite the situation, Runia perked right back up. “Oh well. I suppose I’ll just have to sleep outside. But it could be worse, I guess. I’m used to the snowy mountains up north, so it’s not like a little nighttime chill’s gonna bother me.”

Anju was surprised at how oddly unconcerned Runia was, but after a moment she simply nodded. “Again, I’m really sorry. I’d give you a room if I could.”

“Don’t worry about it!” Runia replied. “It’s not your fault. Really, it’s probably my fault if anything. I’m the one who just came down here on a whim like this without much of a plan.”

The Eevee raised an eyebrow at that. “You’re… from Snowhead I assume, right? That’s… That’s quite a ways to have come just on a whim. You must have really wanted to attend the Festival of Time.”

“Oh, yes!” Runia nodded eagerly. “I’ve never seen it before, so I’m very curious to see what all the fuss is about. Besides, I always wanted to see more of the world than just that boring old mountain anyhow. I’ve never gotten a good chance to come down here and see the sights, so what better opportunity than the Festival of Time, right? And…”

Runia trailed off, her expression souring just a little. “And, well… To be honest, things haven’t really been the best up on Snowhead lately, anyhow. It’s been getting warmer and warmer, which is not at all normal for Snowhead. It wasn’t too bad at first, but by the time I left it was even warmer up there than it is here in Clock Town! Almost all the snow and ice is melting… the place barely even felt like Snowhead at all anymore.”

“Oh my. Do you have any idea what could be causing it?” Anju asked.

“The elder seemed to think it has something to do with a particular mystery dungeon on one of the neighboring mountains.” Just thinking about that place made a nervous shiver run up Runia’s spine. “It’s a dreadful fire cavern, terribly dangerous even compared to other mystery dungeons! Nobody from Snowhead ever dares go near that place. But lately the dungeon’s been getting even hotter and more volatile than usual, and nobody’s quite sure what we can do about it.”

The nagging worry that Runia had tried to ignore the last several days started to creep back into her chest. Were the others back home going to be alright? A part of her had wanted to try and help. She honestly wouldn’t even be that opposed to checking out a mystery dungeon, despite what everyone always said about them. But that dungeon, specifically? From everything she’d heard, she’d probably just straight-up melt if she tried to take even one step in a place like that! There was no way she’d have been any help even if she’d stayed.

Besides, ice-types like her weren’t the only pokemon that lived up in the mountains. There were plenty of rock-types in the area too, surely they would manage to figure something out! Everything would be fine, and there was definitely no need to worry! At least, that’s what Runia insisted to herself.

The sound of the inn’s door opening behind her startled Runia out of her thoughts, and she quickly turned back to look. The Flaaffy who’d just entered cocked her head in confusion. “…Am ah interrupting somethin’?” Runia hastily shook her head, stepping out of the way. The Flaaffy made her way up to the counter, a Rapidash stoicly following a couple steps behind.

“Howdy, Anju,” the Flaaffy greeted, a warm smile on her face. “You handling the festival rush okay?”

Despite the lingering exhaustion on her face, Anju returned the smile as best she could. “Hey, Willow. It’s been rough, but I’m surviving, somehow.” She nodded over at the stairs. “Your brother already picked up your room key. Just up the stairs, third door on your left.”

“Alrighty. Take care o’ yerself, Anju.”

As Willow made her way up the stairs, the Rapidash silently took her place at the counter. Anju briefly looked down at her notebook again, before digging around for another key and passing it to the Rapidash. “Here you go. Your room’s the same one you had last time you all stayed here, since most of our rooms don’t have fireproofed beds. You remember where it is, right?”

The Rapidash nodded. “…Thanks. Have a good evening.” With that, she trotted off down the hall, leaving the inn lobby silent once more.

After a moment, Runia awkwardly cleared her throat, giving Anju a sheepish smile. “A-Anyway, I wouldn’t mind talking more, but I should probably go. You’re obviously still busy. But it was nice to meet you, Anju!” Runia waved goodbye, which the Eevee hesitantly reciprocated after a moment, and then Runia turned around to head for the door.

“W-Wait!”

Anju’s voice stopped Runia in her tracks, and she glanced back at the Eevee again. Anju fidgeted in place for a moment, visibly debating in her head whether or not to continue. She seemed to make up her mind after a bit, and let out a quiet sigh. “I-I, uh… might have one suggestion, actually.”

“…About what’s happening on Snowhead?” Runia asked, a little confused.

“What? O-Oh, no, not about that.” The Eevee shook her head. “I mean, I wish I could help with that too, but that sounds like it’s probably out of both of our paws at this point. B-But, um… I might be able to offer you a bed for the night at least. If you wouldn’t mind doing me a favor.”

“Oh! Wow, that’s really nice of you! Thanks!” Runia almost went right over to Anju and pulled her into a hug, but she thought better of it. “But I thought you said all the rooms were already booked?”

Anju blushed. “T-They are. But I, um… m-my room… happens to have a spare bed right now.” She let out a sigh. “Y-You see, my bo-… u-um, my partner… just up and d-disappeared a few days ago. Nobody’s seen him around town, and I’ve been worried sick about him. A-And since he usually helps me out around here at the inn, I’ve been really hard pressed to k-keep up with everything without him. Especially right now, of all times…”

The Eevee softly shook her head, before giving Runia an earnest look. “I-I could really use a hand with everything, basically. So if you could help out here at the inn for a couple days… a-and maybe keep an eye out for my partner, in the meantime… t-then I’ll let you stay here for free, until the festival’s over.”

Runia didn’t need any time to think it over, a warm grin on her face as she nodded at Anju. “Sure, sounds like a plan! What would you need me to do?”

Anju smiled tiredly at her. “Well, for right now-” She was cut off as her stomach let out an audible grumble. Her ears folded down sheepishly, and she glanced back at a passageway next to the stairs. “…I still haven’t had time to have supper yet, since I’ve been so busy here. So for right now, if you could watch the front desk for a bit while I grab something from the pantry, that’d be great.”

“No problem! You can count on me!” Runia eagerly replied, standing up straight and giving an over-the-top salute. Anju let out a soft giggle at that, shaking her head as the Snowshrew replaced her at the front desk.

Just before Anju left, a thought occurred to Runia. “Oh! Hang on a moment!” she called out, causing the Eevee to pause in place. “About this partner of yours… who is he? I mean, I can’t really look out for him without a name or species.”

Anju’s ears drooped a bit, a distant look settling on her face. “H-He’s an Eevee like me,” she answered after a moment. “H-His name’s Kafei.”

Even as the sun continued to set and evening gave way to nighttime, West Clock Town still bustled with activity. This was where the town’s main commercial district was located. General stores, a training dojo, a post office, a bank… almost any kind of business you could need, you could probably find it here.

This sector would already be plenty busy this time of day under normal circumstances. But with the Festival of Time approaching, dozens of pokemon had come from around Termina to visit Clock Town, making things even more crowded.

“U-Um… excuse me?” a timid voice called from just overhead. A lone Swablu fluttered to and fro above the crowd, trying to get someone’s attention. “Excuse me, sir? Do y-you know where I could find someone who…” She trailed off defeatedly as all of the pokemon just kept walking, not seeming to even notice her at all. Try as she might, the din of the crowd easily drowned out her quiet voice.

“Something the matter, miss?”

The Swablu squawked with surprise at the sudden voice from behind her, losing several feathers and a bit of altitude before she managed to catch herself and stable her flight again. Turning herself around, she found a Gallade staring back at her. He was nearly tall enough to not need to look up at her at all, and the emblem on the scarf he wore clearly marked him as one of the town’s guards.

After a moment to calm herself, she gave a shaky nod of her head. “Y-Yes, sir. Y-You see, my name’s Medli. I-I’m from out west in Great Bay, and t-there’s… there’s a terrible gang of pirates who have been causing all kinds of trouble out there as of late.”

“Pirates?”

Medli nodded. “They steal anything that they can g-get their claws on. L-Lately, they’ve even started k-kidnapping hatchlings in hopes of getting ransom! The others in Great Bay have tried to stop them, b-but we don’t have enough good fighters back home, and the pirates are just too strong…”

“So you came here to Clock Town looking for pokemon who could help fight them off?” the Gallade asked.

“Y-Yes. I know you and the other guards have responsibilities here, s-so you probably can’t help. But do you know anywhere in town where I could find other s-strong fighters?”

The Gallade hesitated a moment, a pensive look on his face. “…Well,” he eventually replied, “there is a dojo in this part of town for pokemon who want to get stronger, or those who just like fighting. That’s probably your best bet. But…” He nodded towards the bustling crowd of pokemon who were still going about their business. “…I can’t promise anyone will be willing to drop everything and help right now, with the festival coming up in only a few days.”

The Swablu’s face drooped with disappointment. “O-Oh. I see.”

“Of course, you’re free to try regardless. I can give you the directions to that dojo, if you wish. But I think you’ll have a lot more luck with your search once the festival wraps up, if you can afford to wait here until then.” The Gallade’s serious, professional demeanor softened just a bit as he leaned in closer, looking the Swablu in the eyes. “I know that’s not what you wanted to hear, but it’s the best suggestion I can give you for now.”

Medli nodded hesitantly. “T-Thank you, sir.”

She didn’t want to wait. Time was of the essence, that was why she’d come here in the first place. But… she supposed the Gallade was probably right.

Medli tried to reassure herself that, as much trouble as the pirates had caused, there was usually several days between attacks from them anyway. Hopefully, the others back in Great Bay could hold out for just a couple more days on their own.

Still, it was worth at least trying to find help, in the meantime. “I think… I w-would still like those directions, i-if you don’t mind.”

After memorizing the directions the Gallade gave her, Medli set off. She quickly flew along, gliding above streets and through alleyways. It only took her a couple of minutes to find her destination. However, by the time she got there, it was already closed for the day. She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised, as late in the day as it was, but with how active the rest of this district seemed to still be she had dared to hold out hope.

With nothing else to do, she decided to flap her way up onto the building’s roof, roosting down and making herself comfortable. All at once, the fatigue from the long flight here seemed to catch up to her, and she let out a soft yawn. Coming all the way here from Great Bay really had taken a lot out of her. If she wasn’t going to be able to find anyone tonight, then she might as well finally get some rest.

“…First thing tomorrow morning,” she muttered to herself as she finally closed her eyes, her fluffy wings curled around her to help fend off the cold. She had already found the dojo, at least. If there was anyone here in Clock Town willing to help, she would do everything she could to find them as quickly as possible.

She could only hope that would be fast enough.

Time flows onward like a river. The sun and moon rise and set, seasons change, and pokemon slowly but steadily grow older.

That neverending passage of time had always been an important symbol to the citizens of Clock Town, ever since the town was originally founded. And nowhere was that more evident than the town’s namesake clock tower. The tower stood right in the center of the town square, a watchful sentinel over the town and everyone in it. It rose so high into the sky that it could easily be picked out over everything else in the town, even if you were miles away.

Each of the tower’s four sides held an identical clock face. The left half of the clock showed a bright morning sun rising over a grassy plain. On the right side, a shimmering moon stood out among a starry night sky, shining down on the harsh waves of the ocean. And a blue, twelve-pointed gear pattern enveloped the clock face itself, serving as a simple but fitting backdrop.

It had taken years of time and effort to construct the tower, and countless time since had been put into maintaining it and ensuring it continued to function as normal. But to most of the residents of Clock Town, it was assuredly worth it. It was the town’s pride and joy.

Sometimes, though… the clock tower only served as a bitter reminder that time’s unyielding march does not stop for anyone.

“…It’s already eleven,” Kafei muttered under his breath as he stared up at the clock tower from outside the town’s east gate. “Another day gone, and still no progress.” The Eevee’s tail whipped the air with annoyance, and he repressed the urge to sigh.

It was probably a lost cause, at this point. It had been days now since that Weavile had run off with his item. The thief was obviously long gone by now, and despite his best efforts, Kafei still had barely any leads on where the punk had gone.

The best he could gather was that the thief’s hideout was probably somewhere out in Ikana. But even if that did turn out to be true, that didn’t exactly narrow it down much. He wouldn’t get very far by trying to search the entire eastern region of Termina for one specific thief. Not to mention the other dangers out that way… there was a reason very few pokemon attempted to live out there anymore.

At this point, he was beginning to think he should just look for a replacement, since he clearly wasn’t getting back his stolen item at this rate. But the problem was that evolution stones were rare and expensive. It had been hard enough to find one of the right stone for a reasonable price, finding a second one could easily take weeks. And that was time he didn’t have.

He let out a sigh, his ears drooping. He still hadn’t told Anju. He couldn’t bring himself to show his face around her again until he had a water stone to give her. They’d made a promise to each other… and unless something miraculous happened in the next three days, he was going to break his promise.

The worst part is, he knew she would forgive him. It’s just who she was. She would tell him that it was all fine, that they could wait as long as they needed to. Even though he could almost guarantee she still had her half of the promise stashed away in the inn waiting for him.

Kafei felt a bit of water starting to well up in his eyes, and he hastily blinked it away. Pushing down the guilty feeling in his gut, he shook his head. He still had a few more days. Maybe he could still figure something out, by then.

He quietly slunk his way back into Clock Town, the tired guards barely paying him any mind as they let him through. His gaze briefly drifted over to the Stock Pot Inn as he passed by, a sad longing in his eyes for a moment, before he again shook his head and continued onward.

Unsurprisingly, Clock Town’s main square was nearly abandoned at this hour. Other than the guards, pretty much everyone else had long since gone home by now. Still, Kafei tried to lay low somewhat. Until he was ready to show himself to Anju again, he’d prefer to avoid people asking where he’d been the last few days.

An unexpected flash of movement out of the corner of Kafei’s vision almost made him jump. He quickly spun in place, finding a Raichu suddenly standing there.

The electric-type took a small step back, his paws raised in a conciliatory fashion. “Oh, my. I didn’t mean to startle you there, sir.”

Kafei kept glaring at the Raichu for a moment longer. He didn’t look very threatening, but looks could definitely be deceiving. After a few moments, Kafei finally relaxed his guard a little, though he still kept up his wary glare. “What are you doing out here, at this time of night?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” the Raichu responded with a wry grin.

It was a fair point, Kafei supposed. But there was something about that smile that just… unnerved Kafei, for some reason.

“But if you must know,” the Raichu continued, “I have always been something of a night owl.” He shifted his posture a little, drawing attention to the surprisingly large backpack he was carrying. “I prefer to sell my wares in the evening, most days. And when it gets late enough that all of the potential customers have gone to bed, I still prefer to remain out for a little bit longer, checking over my stock and just watching the night sky.”

This Raichu was definitely an odd one, Kafei thought. But now he was curious. “…Don’t suppose you have any evolution stones for sale?”

Raichu let out a chuckle. “I am afraid not, my friend.” He set down his heavy bag and began sifting through it, emerging a second later with… a Charizard mask, of all things.

“I am a mask salesmon.” The Raichu held the mask up over his face. “Only the highest quality, of course. Why, it looks just like the real thing, does it not?”

Kafei scoffed. “…You look ridiculous. Does anyone actually buy those things, other than kids?”

Raichu lowered the mask again, that same unnervingly wide grin forming on his face again. “Oh, you would be surprised. I find a good mask can make quite the difference, if one has the confidence to match.” He returned the Charizard mask to his bag, before hefting it back up onto his back again. “I take it you are not interested in my wares, then?”

For the briefest of moments, Kafei thought about it. He was hoping to lay low for the moment… but no. Putting on a stupid Pikachu mask or something would only make him stand out more, and make him feel very silly in the process. He shook his head. “Nope.”

“Ah. A shame. Well, if you should happen to change your mind, just come find me. I will most likely be hanging around Clock Town for the next few days, until the festival wraps up. All of the tourists gathering here means there are plenty of potential customers to be had.” After giving one more disconcerting grin, the mask salesmon took his leave, his backpack’s contents audibly clattering around as he went.

Kafei continued to eye the odd Raichu warily. Once he was fully out of sight, Kafei let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, feeling a slight shudder run down his spine. There was just something about that mon that felt… off.

Shrugging off that feeling as best he could, Kafei resumed his own trek. He couldn’t spend the night at the inn without talking to Anju first, which he wasn’t ready to do just yet. And his family would probably be just as upset over him disappearing for the last few days, so they were probably out of the question for now too. But he did have one other spot in mind, which would hopefully be a bit cozier than spending another night camping out in Termina Field again.

Near the edges of South Clock Town’s residential district, there was a well-worn side path hiding off in the corner. Kafei slowly trotted along that walkway, eventually reaching a secluded little park with a pond near its center.

During the worst of summer’s heat, this little pond tended to be a popular place to cool down, especially for the younger pokemon around town. And when winter arrived, and the lake froze over, some children liked to come here to play around on the ice. But for the rest of the year, it was often left forgotten by most, leaving it as a quiet, peaceful spot to relax for those that still liked to come here.

Right now, as Kafei had expected, the area was nearly abandoned. Nearly, as he did see a Wartortle sitting on a bench some ways away, cranking what looked to be some sort of oversized music box contraption. Kafei recalled seeing him here some other evenings in the past, so it wasn’t too odd to see him here now, though Kafei would have expected him to have gone home by now. He supposed it wasn’t his business, though.

Kafei walked up to the water’s edge, curling up underneath a nearby tree and trying to get comfortable. He let out a yawn, feeling the day’s long search start to catch up to him.

On a whim, Kafei looked up at the sky. The sky was free of clouds at the moment, granting him an easy view of the vast blanket of stars that shined overhead. The Eevee silently took in the view for a long moment, letting his mind wander a bit.

A small oddity stuck out to him, and he cocked his head slightly in confusion. But after a moment, he shrugged it off. It had to just be his imagination, after all.

For just a moment, the moon had seemed a little bit larger in the sky than usual.