Chapter 5

The full moon loomed over Crossroad Town, illuminating it with its pale light, and not a creature stirred for it was far too late for even a Hoothoot. All except three creatures, who skulked up to the western gate of the once lively village.

“So this is Crossroad Town, eh…” The largest of the three shadows sneered, crossing his formidable arms. “What a dump.”

“One mon’s trash is another mon’s treasure,” the littlest of the three snickered. “And this place has the potential to be a goldmine.”

“If we play our cards right, that is.” A slender shadow crooned. “Ergo, if you two cretins let me do the talking.”

The shortest figure sniffed in annoyance. “You already do the talking. All the time. Now if only you’d shut up.”

“Both of ya need to shut up.” Said the largest Pokemon. “Once we get Babyface off our backs, then we can put this ugly business behind us.”

“Funny, I think ugly business suits you rather well.”  The slender shadow simpered.

“You know what?” Moonlight caught in the Pokemon’s sharp fangs with a devilish glint. “You’re right.”

---

“Thanks again, you kids!” A smiling Probopass waved two of his Mini-Noses as he bid Hei and Key farewell.

“Seeya later, mister!” Hei chirped as she confidently trotted beside her partner. “Another delivery down!”

“Man, we’ve been busting our tails all day with this grunt work,” Key whined as he often did when he’d gone too long without eating. “My paws are killing me!”

“Maybe we can buy some shoes for you.” The Eevee offered. “We can get matching ones!”

Key winced. “Eh, maybe not.” 

The two turned a corner leading into one of Crossroad Town’s larger plazas. But to their surprise, a large chattering crowd halted their pace.

Key, guided by his quick wits, scanned the area, trying to follow the attention of the congregation. They all seemed to circle around a spacious wooden stage that had definitely not been there the previous day. Three Pokemon proudly stood atop the hastily constructed platform, announcing something or other in loud voices.

“Street performers?” Key asked aloud. The mere mention of a performance triggered Hei’s tail to wag.

“Oh boy, a show!” The young Normal-type squeaked. “C’mon, Key, let’s get a good view!”

She didn’t wait for her friend to respond and began to scamper closer to the stage, eager to get a front row seat on the action.

“Wait up, Hay-for-brains!” Key called out, dodging a swinging Rhydon’s tail. How is it she can outmaneuver even him when she gets so excited? The Eevee finally settled near the front of the show, so close she can hear the wooden boards creak under the weight of the performers, and gazed up to get a good look at them.

The Pokemon looked as different as can be from each other: one a huge and muscular canine, another a pudgy little chimp with a Pecha-shaped marking on his bum, and the last one an elegant looking bird. Aside from matching purple chains they sported, Hei would’ve never guessed they’d be a troupe.

“Step right up, Nidokings and Nidoqueens!” The buff green dog roared. “Be the first to try out the new superfood that’s sweeping the continents! Yeah, that’s right! Get your fresh Munchy Mochi here!”

On cue, the three Pokemon presented a neatly wrapped box of sweets to the crowd. The purple packaging displayed a hand-drawn image of a chewy-looking lump of candy beneath a brazenly large label: ‘Munchy Mochi! The Miraculous Treat!”

“It’s packed with all of the nutrients you could ever need! And not mention the flavor!” The haughty-looking bird swept a wing out with a dramatic flair. “Why, Munchy Mochis contains twice the brain power than Wonder Gummis! And in terms of health and vitality, they’re better than Phione Dew!”

“And they’re gluten free.” The little monkey added.

Hei tilted her head. She looked to her side to see Key, still a bit out of breath and shooting her a frustrated glare.

“I don’t think they’re street performers.” She said, visibly disappointed. Key’s sharp eyes went from her to the three Pokemon onstage, and he lifted a skeptical brow.

“Just a couple of salesmon. And a sketchy looking bunch, at that. Crossroad Town is full of ‘em, being a trading center.” The Dark type turned around, clearly having seen enough. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

Hei went to follow, having lost all interest in the not-performance. But the canine salesmon above her spotted the swishing of fluffy tails and pointed a clawed finger at them.

“Hey, you two kids! Whaddaya say?! A pair of growing brats need their nutrients!” He snarled.

The young Pokemon flinched at the harshness of the huckster’s voice. Hei scurried to hide behind Key who looked even less confident.

“Uh… Um…” They stuttered, too nervous to move.

The bird administered a quick Dual Wingbeat to his colleague’s shoulder as they exchanged cold glares, before his attention returned to the two children.

“What my associate means to say, is that such apple-cheeked tykes could benefit from our amazing product.” He corrected in a silvery voice. “And we’re not shy in handing out free samples.”

This got the crowd more interested. As if predicting the change in attitude, the avian Pokemon’s beak curved up in a honeyed smile. “So what say you? Why not offer a firsthand testimonial?”

Hei glanced at her partner hesitantly. “What do you think, Key?”

The little fox Pokemon debated himself. On the one paw, it was obvious to him that this trio of peddlers were not the trustworthy kind. A crook can recognize another crook from a mile away. On the other paw, the hole gnawing at his belly for the latter half of the day had really perked up when they mentioned candy. And judging from the small line of drool leaking from Hei’s mouth, he’d bet she could use a snack right about now too. Even if it wasn’t any good, it’d still fill them up until dinnertime. 

“It’s just a free sample.” Key conceded finally. “What’s the harm?”

With the matter resolved, the pair of deliverymon clambered up the stage. The sudden vulnerability of being isolated on the elevated platform hit them, and they meekly approached the overeager trio.

“Ah, looks like we have our first volunteers!” The pheasant Pokemon announced in his sugary voice. “Thanks for being such good sports, kiddos.”

The condescension nipped at Key’s nerves, and he puffed his chest up as proudly as he could. “We have names, you know. It’s Key, and Hei.”

He could have sworn the salesman’s beak twitched into a scowl, but it was only for a moment. “And what fine names they are! But how rude of us to not introduce ourselves!”

The bird took a bow and gestured towards him and his troupe. “I’m Mr. F, and these are my associates Mr. O, and Mr. M. Proud to be showcasing our fine wares for you good people.”

The other two slumped over in awkward imitations of bows, prompting a stiff round of applause from the crowd. Mr. M, the Munkidori, hobbled over to the two deliverymon and presented an open box of the sweet treats. Key couldn’t deny the Munchy Mochis smelled delicious; a faint Pecha-like fragrance that made his mouth water. Hei had apparently forgotten about her previous boredom, instead licking her lips at the sight of the appetizing dumplings. 

“Down the hatch, kiddos.” The Munkidori snickered. Before the Zorua could change his mind, Hei greedily gulped down one of the Mochis and began to chew. Her cheeks squished and stretched as she broke down the doughy stuff, but her expression was extremely satisfied.

“Mmmm, tha’sch yummy!” She managed to say over her chewing. 

Not wanting to be left out of the fun, Key followed suit, gobbling up a mochi for himself. His face morphed into a similar pleased expression, and the two exchanged content smiles. The three misters hovered over them with the most content smiles of all, however. They gestured towards the duo as if they had just performed a magic trick.

“Another pair of satisfied customers!” They declared to a more enthusiastic audience. “But don’t take our word for it! What say you, May and Flea?”

Key flattened his ears. “It’s Hei and—“

“It’s delicious! Hey, can I eat another?” Hei chirped, eyes locked on the box of sweets and tail wagging restlessly behind her.

“We’ll do ya one even better!” Mr. O barked. “If you can help us with our presentation, we’ll give you a whole box for yer troubles!”

“Wow!” Hei laughed. “Thanks a bunch!”

Note to self, Key thought. Hei’s too gullible for her own good.

“How do we help?” The Eevee asked.

“Hm, for that, we’d need another volunteer.” Mr. F narrowed his eyes, scanning the crowd of onlookers. Finally, his eyes widened and beckoned over someone. “You, madam, will do perfectly!”

With some effort, a dusty Mudsdale scaled atop the stage. Her braided tail swung quietly behind her, caked in dried mud.

“Now madam, I know it’s terribly rude to speculate on a lady’s weight,” Mr. F began another melodious speech, “but I’d like to guess that you’re a delicate 900 kilos. Quite slim for a Mudsdale!”

“I’m 899 and a half!” The Mudsdale neighed in amusement. “How’d you know?”

“Who’s to say?” The Fezandipiti hummed. “I’d like to ask the little ones something now. Would you two fancy a game of tug o’ war with Madam Mudsdale?”

Hei’s eyes widened. “Who, us?”

“There’s no way we can beat someone like that!”

Mr. O cackled. “C’mon, lil’ man! Gonna chicken out in front of everyone like that? Don’t embarrass the lil’ missy!”

Key felt his face heat up at his words. “Fine, fine! We’ll do it!”

“Good show!” Mr. F warbled. Wasting no time, Mr. M hauled a sturdy wheel of rope on the stage and tied one end around the two deliverymon, securing them from behind their elbows, and the other to the Mudsdale.

“Alright, old sports. On the count of three, now!” The Fezandipiti spread a wing out, encouraging the mob below to join in.

“Three!”

“Two!”

“One!”

“Begin!”

Both Eevee and Zorua expected to be immediately swept off their paws with a single tug from the mighty Mudsdale. However, after bracing themselves, while they indeed felt the pull of the rope, it was not enough force for them to be toppled. They exchanged brief looks of confusion before fighting back against the rope’s pressure. Straining themselves, they slowly began to tug the cord. A few meters off, they heard the Mudsdale’s hooves fighting against the wood floor. 

The crowd erupted into raucous cheers. To their absolute astonishment, Hei and Key appeared to be… winning? Not willing to give the draft horse Pokemon any leeway, they fought against the taught rope, pushing their bodies away from the center of the stage, all the while hearing their opponent’s distressed whinnies and fumbling hooves. With a final unified pull, they at last felt the rope cede to their power. The Mudsdale had toppled to her knees, letting go of the rope with her mouth. The two youngsters’ jaws dropped to the floor. The crowd’s uproar only became more chaotic.

“We have a winner!” Mr. O yelled out triumphantly. “The lil’ squirts take the crown!”

“Of course, the outcome of the match was obvious right from the start.”  Mr. M explained. “Those two helped themselves to some Munchy Mochi before, so it’s only natural they’re so strong.”

“Right ya are!” The Okidogi smacked his little blue colleague on the back, hard enough to send a shiver down the latter’s spine. “Even little weaklings like those two can move mountains thanks to our revolutionary product!”

“A final round of applause to our helpful helpers, Gallades and Gardevoirs! Now we’d like to take any orders for those interested in our glorious superfood!” Mr. F cheered with infectious pep. The mob of spectators more than obliged, exploding with a deafening clamor and writhing impatiently to get their hands on the magical mochi.

“Munchy Mochi!” Misters F, M, and O sang in unison, concluding their chaotic sales pitch. But they were businessmon after all, and quickly got to work organizing the frenzied sea of customers into a single file line. Only Mr. M spared Hei and Key a moment, whispering into their ears. 

“Stick around till the end, kids. We’ve got something to discuss with you.”

The command was a little unsettling to Key, but Hei was far too busy hopping circles around him to pay any mind to potential sketchiness.

“Did we really just do that?” Key murmured to his oblivious partner. “I’m trying my best to think of an explanation. Was the Mudsdale a paid actor?”

“Nope!” Hei spoke up. “That’s Miss Posie. We deliver her horseshoes every week, remember?”

“What’s the angle, then?” The Zorua furrowed his brows. “A tripwire? A hole in the floorboards? Did they tickle her?”

“Relax, Key!” Hei nipped at his ear. “It’s like the misters said! The Munchy Mochi made us super strong!”

“That’s impossible!” Key hissed. “These guys are up to something, I tell you.”

“Aw Key, you’re such a pessimist!” Hei chided. “They’re just nice candy sellers!”

“Trust me, there’s no such thing as ‘just a nice’ anything!”

“What about Miss Aldora?”

The Zorua flinches. “I’m still trying to figure out her whole deal.”

“See!” Hei stuck her tongue out. “You should learn to trust others more. Then you can make more friends!”

“What do I need friends for? I’m stuck with you as it is.”

“Yep! Stuck like yuck on a Muk!” The Eevee giggled, arching down in a playful bow.

Key finally relented, laughing along and pouncing at his partner. They continued to exchange silly banter and half hearted play fights until the crowd finally, finally dissipated. Once the dust seemed to have settled for good, the pair of deliverymon walked up to the trio of misters who were fussing over the profits of the day.

“Ten thousand, five hundred and twenty three, four, five…” Mr. M plopped the final handful of coins into their trunk, his yellow eyes narrowed in glee. “Ten thousand, five hundred and twenty six Poke! Not bad, lads!”

Mr. F opened his beak, ready to reply, but his words never came out once he noticed the approach of the young Pokemon. Instead, he cleared his throat and straightened up, a debonair smile once again playing on his face.

“Thank you for your help today.” Mr. F cooed. “People love crowd work, you know. Mr. O, give them what we promised.”

The Okidogi grinned at them, handing them an unopened box of Munchy Mochi. “Don’t eat ‘em all in one go.”

“Thanks, misters!” Hei said sweetly. “Everyone at the Delivery Service will love this!”

This piqued the salesmons’ curiosity. Their eyes met for a split second before returning to Hei. 

“The Delivery Service, you say?” Mr. F covered his beak with his wing. “You wouldn’t happen to work for Shaymin’s Delivery Service?”

“Yup! That’s the one!”

“Real spiffy uniforms.” Mr O paced around them, scrutinizing their sky blue bows, embroidered vests, and their satchels in the delivery service’s iconic colors. “Yer the real deal.”

“This is wonderfully fortunate, then!” The Fezandipiti chirped. “We have some business with your Postmaster General. I don’t suppose you youngsters could introduce her to us? We hear she’s terribly busy.”

“Sure, we can do that!” Hei nodded, ignoring Key’s grimace. “Miss Aldora loves guests! Why don’t you guys come back with us to Azure Hill?”

“Oh, goody.” Mr. M patted the two on their backs with a sneer. “Let’s not waste any time, then.”

And so, the salesmon packed up their profits, the remaining boxes of mochi, and whatever other items they had in a large and faded knapsack dutifully hoisted by Mr. O, and followed the deliverymon down the cobblestone paths of Crossroad Town. The town seemed even livelier than usual, but the only thing that was on everyone’s lips was Munchy Mochi. Time and time again, they passed by couples, families, and friends snarfing down the purply Pecha-flavored treat with a gleeful expression.

“Quite a bustling town,” Mr. F remarked. “I’m happy to have stopped by.”

“Crossroad Town is the best!” Hei smiled. “It never stands still.”

“I suppose we have that in common with it, then.” The bird Pokemon shut his eyes contentedly. “The life of a traveling salesmon is not for those averse to changing sceneries.”

“Your mochi was really yummy, though! And has really incredible effects!”

“What’s in them, anyhow?” Key interrupted. 

“Sugar, spice, everything nice.” Mr. M shut him down just as quickly. “Trade secret. Not like we’re the ones making them, anyways.”

“You’re not?”

“We’re just the distributors, kid. I guess that makes us deliverymon too, in a sense.” The Munkidori scratched his head wistfully.

“Well, who does make them?”

“Ain’tcha a nosy little thing?” Mr. O nabbed the Zorua by the scruff of his neck with a raspy chortle. Flailing his limbs frantically, Key managed to land a scratch on the Okidogi’s wrist and wriggle free.

“Yeouch!” The dog Pokemon ruefully shook his wounded hand. “Guess the mochi’s effects are still kicking.”

“Don’t be too rough on them, Mr. O.” Mr. F reprimanded, voice lacking any actual concern. “You’ll have to excuse my associate. What he has in strength, he lacks in tact.”

Mr. M chuckled darkly. “Yet both of you are sorely lacking in brain.”

The Fezandipiti kicked the chimp a good few meters away with his long legs. “And that one has absolutely no social graces, as you could tell.”

The three continued their bickering all the way up Azure Hill, making Hei and Key wonder why exactly they worked together in the first place if they couldn’t stand each other. Nonetheless, as they approached the formidable delivery service headquarters, their arguments sobered into their usual sales pitch-like dispositions. 

“What an impressive edifice.” Mr. F commented.

“All this fer a lil’ Shaymin, eh?” Mr. O mumbled. 

“This’ll do nicely.” Mr. M snickered.

As they entered the building, Hei guided them to the reception desk, where the lovely Pelipper secretary greeted her.

“Who are these… gentlemen?” The water bird Pokemon asked.

“They’re salesmon! They wanna see Miss Aldora!”

“Oh, sweetie, you know we don’t allow for solicitors—“

“But they say they have a really good business proposition for the delivery service!” Hei pleaded. “And they gave us this candy that made us super strong! We could carry so many more packages!”

“…Candy?”

“Can you pleeeease tell Aldora we wanna see her?” Hei rubbed her face against the counter, eyes as wide as saucer plates.

Since when does she know Baby Doll Eyes…? Key thought.

The Pelipper sighed. “Okay, sweetie. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll let her know.”

The Eevee popped right back up with a radiant grin. “Thank you!”

She trotted back to her group to relay the good news. They set up camp in the headquarters’ foyer, earning many skeptical stares of Pokemon leaving and entering the building, but the mochi-peddling group seemed utterly unfazed by the unwanted attention.

An hour passed.

And then another one.

And suddenly, they’d been waiting well into the afternoon. Mr. O and Mr. M had fallen asleep, the little one sprawled on the larger one’s lap, the latter’s mouth agape exposing his fangs and lolling tongue. Only Mr. F had managed to stay awake, but evaded his typical glib conversation for once.

“Hei…” Key muttered into his partner’s good ear. “Don’t you think you’re doing too much for these guys? I mean, we just met them.”

“I don’t mind. Besides, you felt the mochi’s effects. If it really is a superfood that could help a lot of Pokemon out, it’d only make sense that Aldora would hear them out, right?”

Key bit back his immediate response, knowing that any kind of argument wouldn’t change his friend’s mind. Her strange behavior seemed a little too gung-ho even for her, but in the long run, this wasn’t the strangest thing about her. Even though the story still didn’t feel right at all to him, he figured that deferring to Hei’s whims couldn’t be that bad once in a while. 

“You just want to eat more mochi, don’t you?” He teased.

“Maybe.”

At last, once the sun had begun to burn out and set the evening sky alight in yellow and peach streaks, the Pelipper receptionist called them over.

“The Postmaster General will see you now.” She announced. 

“‘Bout time.” Mr. O grumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

They ascended to the highest floor of the building, where Aldora’s office doors stood in their typical imposing elegance. Hei straightened out her fur, preparing herself to see her boss.

“Alright misters, don’t forget to mind your manners—“

However, the trio had already barged in. Aldora stood atop her desk as usual, a bit surprised by the sudden ruckus.

“Good evening, illustrious Postmaster General!” Mr. F greeted with exceptional flair. “We’ve travelled a great deal to see you!”

“And we’ve got an offer that’ll knock your seeds off!” Mr. M rubbed his palms together.

“Whaddaya say?!” Roared Mr. O.

The Shaymin blinked. After a moment, she simply hopped off her desk and mosied over to a petite table perfectly sized for her, and smiled at her guests.

“Would anyone care for tea?”

The salesmon’s smiles stiffened. They exchanged nervous glances before Mr. F, as usual, took over.

“Why of course, where are our manners? Business should never be rushed after all.” He extended his wing to the little Mythical Pokemon, and she delicately placed a paw on his index feather.

“I’m Mr. F, and these are my associates Mr. O and Mr. M.”

“A Fezandipiti, Okidogi and Munkidori.” Aldora nodded. “A rare sight. You say you travelled far?”

“From the Sand Continent. The Lapras ride over was never-ending.” Mr. M grumbled. “I despise seafaring.”

“Perks of the job!” Mr. O shot his colleague a sadistic grin.

“Hei, Key, won’t you join us?” The Postmaster glanced over at the two little Pokemon, who stood awkwardly by the entrance.

However, Mr. F ruffled his feathers. “Oh, erm, not to disparage our most excellent escorts, but I don’t believe these children need to hear our sales pitch once more. We might be here a while, after all.”

“Yeah,” Mr. O waved them off with his massive paws, plopping down to sit cross legged at the tea table. “Y’all can scamper off now.”

Aldora remained with her ever-present calm disposition. “I suppose you have a point. You two have put in a good day’s work. Thank you for being so patient for our guests.”

“You sure you don’t want us to stay?” Hei asked timidly. 

“That won’t be necessary. You two are free to relax.” A pair of vines grew from her grassy pelt, twisting a jar of biscuits open and handing it to the children. “But feel free to have a cookie on your way out.”

Key indeed helped himself to several of the Gracidea-shaped cookies, but Hei refrained, saying she’d rather save some room for mochi. Having been excused, they closed the door behind them to the tune of the three salesmon’s enthusiastic jabbering.

“I guess that’s that.” Hei nodded. “Aldora will take it from here.”

“I wonder what they’re talking about.” Key spared a glance back. “They waited all this time just to sell mochi?”

“Maybe they’ll add it to the cafeteria menu.” 

“You and your belly for a brain.”

---

The hour had once again gotten quite late, so late that Hei and Key had already eaten their fill of dinner, washed themselves in the bathhouse and tucked themselves in bed (Hei’s belly was extra full with some Munchy Mochis she’d snuck in for an extra dessert). Yet at the peak of the delivery service, four Legendaries were still discussing matters of business.

“I believe we’ve thrown just about everything we can at you.” Mr. F concluded. “We really do hope you’ll see it our way.”

“With the Delivery Service’s help, we could really make Munchy Mochis a global phenomenon!” Mr. O pounded a fist down on the table.

“Again, we’re only asking for the Service’s exclusive retainer in exporting all mochi-related goods.” Mr. M picked at his teeth. “Your business is known for its worldwide reach. If we outsource, Munchy Mochis could be sold in every Kecleon shop!”

“It’s certainly an ambitious idea.” Aldora sipped at her fifth cup of tea. “But I’m afraid I’ll have to turn down your offer. It’s simply not the direction I’d like for the delivery service.”

That clearly wasn’t the answer they were looking for.

“There’s truly nothing, nothing you can do?” Mr. F insisted. “You won’t even taste one?”

“I feel terrible after you offered so much of your time.” The Shaymin said. “But I have to decline.”

The three Poison type salesmon grit their teeth, all pretense of amicability lost.

“Very well.” The Fezandipiti glowered. “Most unfortunate.”

“It’s late.” The Postmaster gazed out into the night air. “You’re very welcome to spend the night here. We should have a room available for you. I can also ask the cooks to prepare something.”

“Much obliged.” Mr. M muttered.

They said their goodnights and Misters F, M and O were dropped off at a cozy room with three beds of straw awaiting them. Mr. O tossed the bowls of soup they were provided in front of them, guzzling down his own in one gulp.

“That lil’ moss ball was hardballin’ us.” He growled, flipping the now empty bowl over in dissatisfaction.

“She clearly doesn’t trust us.” The Fezandipiti stressed. “A lost cause.”

Mr. M snorted. “She’s got good instincts, then.”

“No thanks to you, Wise Guy!” The pheasant screeched. “You and your incessant little comments, always muttering under your breath!”

The Fairy-type turned to the Okidogi. “And you, Big Fella! Could you be any more uncouth?! Philistines, both of you!”

Big Fella stuck a pinkie in his ear. “Jeez, simmer down, Pretty Boy. I bet even Babyface could hear that.”

“Ughhh, Babyface!” Pretty Boy seethed. “This is all his fault…”

The Okidogi tugged on the purple chain wrapped around his neck. “You realize we’re stuck working for that jerk till we keel over? Even if we pulled this off, we’d still be nowhere close to paying off our debt.”

“At least we got some good consolation moolah out of that crowd of suckers.” Wise Guy said. “How many do you think have eaten the mochi by now?”

“Those little brats certainly snarfed them down.” Pretty Boy chuckled darkly. “How fortuitous indeed to have them under our thumb.”

“Hey, I’m the one who picked them from the crowd!” Big Fella grunted.

“Bully for you.” The Fezandipiti deadpanned. “The Eevee was especially gullible. Mayhaps she can still be of use. Now that the poison is in her system…”

“Her and half of this rube town!” The Okidogi cackled.

Wise Guy didn’t share his amusement, however. “All the more reason for us to wrap this up quickly. If we play with our food too long, she’ll surely catch up to us. I suggest we cut our losses.”

Pretty Boy’s eyes narrowed. “Yes… That odious little ogre… I’m sure she’s chasing us down even here…”

“Welp, that makes tomorrow do or die.” Big Fella shrugged him off, collapsing on his bundle of straw.

“Yes. One step closer to our freedom.”

---

The next morning, Key woke up only to find Hei still sleeping. She had a tendency to oversleep sometimes, so he prepared his usual countermeasure of making sure she got up; jumping up and down on her bed.

“Wake up, Hay-for-brains! Another day, another Poke!” He giggled, but his trampling was only met with a groan. Not Hei’s usual sleepy groan, mind you.

The Zorua flipped the covers to find his partner curled up tight, trembling in pain. His expression instantly turned concerned.

“H-Hei? What’s wrong?”

“Tummy… hurts…mochi-mochi…”

“Your tummy?” He watched as she curled deeper into herself. “And what did you say? Mochi?” He thought back on yesterday, and those mochis that turned the town upside down. “Maybe it was that candy.”

“But you ate it too…Mochi…” She whimpered, trying in vain to find a comfortable position. 

“Jeez, you’re a wreck.” He pulled the blankets back up. “Stay here while I get you some breakfast.”

“Mochi… I want mochi…”

Key huffed. “No candy! That’ll only make it worse.”

The Eevee only responded with a weak moan. It filled Key with worry, but he had no choice but to leave her for now and trot down to the mess hall. To his surprise, he found only a fraction of the regular Pokemon sat at the tables. Had the others left already? 

“Good morning, sugar!” Daisy the lunch lady greeted him, handing him a bowl of simmered fruits. 

“‘Morning. Say, where’s the other guy?” Key asked, noticing the noticeable lack of loud-mouthed Mano.

“He’s feeling a little under the weather this morning.” She sighed. “It’s quite worrisome. He acts tough but he’s a softie at heart, you know.”

“That’s strange. Hei’s also sick today. I’m here to get her something to help her tummy.”

“She’s got a bellyache? Just like Mano! There must be a bug going ‘round.” The Miltank exclaimed.

Something occurred to Key. “Hey Auntie, do you know if Mano ate some mochi yesterday? Some salesmon were making a big fuss about it at the plaza.”

“Now that you mention it, he did come back from his lunch break with these little purple candies! He offered me some but I’m watching my weight.” Daisy folded her arms together. “Why d’you ask, sugar?”

Key’s fur stood on end.

A thief’s instincts are always right! Suddenly filled with a sense of dread, he darted off, leaving the lunch lady calling after him in confusion. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, making it back to his and Hei’s dorm in seconds.

He swung the door open with a blam. “Hei! Hei, are you okay?”

But Hei’s bed was completely empty, only an Eevee-sized imprint left on the sheets.

“Crud! Where’d she go?” He yelped. Something was very wrong. He couldn’t tell what those crooked conmen were playing at, but it’s clear they were behind this. The Zorua trotted in place for a few seconds, unsure of what to do next. He had no idea where Hei was, and running around the busy market town without a plan didn’t seem wise. He could only think of one Pokemon who could help.

“Aldora! Open up!” 

A few minutes later, he was banging on the Postmaster General’s door. When he didn’t receive a response (he didn’t feel like waiting more than a second), his impatience got the better of him and he simply barged in. To his surprise, he found the room empty. Had she gone out? Worse yet, had she also fallen ill?

“Key?” He heard a familiar voice call him. Following its source, he approached the office’s right balcony, the one that overlooked Crossroad Town. There he found Aldora gazing out, her expression serious.

“Aldora! Uh… m’am.” Key cleared his throat. “It’s Hei. She’s gone missing and I’m sure it was those three sketchy salesmon’s fault!”

“Hei, too…” The Shaymin’s eyes shone with sadness. “I’m sorry, Key. This is my fault. I should have done something sooner.”

“Do you know what’s going on, m’am?”

“Not precisely.” She turned to the town below her, as if sensing something. “Crossroad Town has become overrun with impurities. I can sense the poison from here.”

“Poison…?” A bead of sweat ran down Key’s snout. “They poisoned Hei?! But… but I ate that crummy mochi too! Why am I okay?”

“That cookie I offered yesterday…” Aldora said. “I make them myself using traditional Shaymin ingredients. It’s very effective as a detoxifying agent. But those three… I could tell from a glance their intentions were evil. I just can’t understand why they’d do this. I should have done away with them when I had the chance.”

A simmering frustration welled within Key. “Why didn’t you?”

“…In my experience, it is always better to trust than mistrust. There once was a time where cynical hearts nearly ended the world. I had hoped they wouldn’t harm anyone if I turned down their their little ‘business proposal’ politely.”

“Well, now’s no time to sit around feeling sorry for yourself!” The younger Pokemon barked. “We gotta find Hei and put an end to this!”

Aldora nodded, a smile returning to her face. “Right you are. I have a feeling we can gather some clues near the town center.” 

She pointed a paw at the cluster of buildings some kilometers away. Even from that height, they could tell some kind of commotion was going on. “Be warned, Key. This might be dangerous. Are you still willing to come?”

Key shot the Grass-type an arrogant smile. “Please! I’m the Yellow-Eyed Mirage!”

Aldora giggled. “Very well. Let’s be off, then.”

She plucked a pink flower growing from the nearby vines and placed her paw on it. In an instant, the Mythical Pokemon was enveloped in a radiant light. Key could make out the silhouette of her body, quickly morphing into something taller, more slender. With a final flash, the light disappeared, leaving a very different Pokemon in its wake. Aldora’s appearance was far more canine than before, with long wing-like ears and her signature greenery exclusively growing on her head. Spotted red petals stuck out from her neck, and her eyes beamed with confidence.

“Woah!” Key cried. “Aldora, what happened to you?!”

“I changed Formes!” She said like it was the simplest thing in the world. “We mustn’t waste time running all the way down to the town square. In this Forme, I can fly.”

“Th-that’s…!” Key’s jaw creaked open and close. He was completely at a loss for words, but he meant to say ‘amazing’.

“Now hop on.”

The Zorua nervously climbed onto Aldora’s back, and no sooner had he settled into a sitting position than the now Sky Forme Shaymin began to approach the ledge. The sight was enough to make Key force down a dry gulp.

“And you’re sure you can fly?”

“Hm, it has been a while…” Aldora tilted her head with mock pensiveness. “I guess there’s only one way to find out.”

“Wait, what?”

Aldora lept off of the balcony, immediately plummeting down in the open air. Key sunk his claws into the Shaymin’s fur, clinging on for dear life as he screeched his lungs out. The Mythical Pokemon simply laughed, and with a turn of her head, her ears caught the wind below and launched them back up into a stable flight.

“You can let go now, Key.” She hummed, motioning towards the Zorua’s paws poking at her sides.

“S-s-sorry…” He whimpered, teeth chattering. “I don’t th-think I c-can.”

“Can you look down at least?”

“Are you t-trying to kill me?”

“Look there,” Aldora said, gesturing towards the town’s main plaza. “What do you see?”

Mustering all his courage, Key dared to look down. From high above, it seemed like the square was packed with its usual bustle and commerce. But that was only at first glance. As Key focused more on the movement, he could tell something was very wrong. Pokemon clustered together, resembling an angry mob. They swarmed shops and homes, destroyed signs and lamps, and turned over carts. Absolute chaos had overtaken Crossroad Town.

“Horrible.” Aldora said in a somber voice. “Key, can you spot the three troublemakers? Or Hei?”

“It’s hard to tell…” The Zorua squinted. Although the trio of villains were pretty distinct, they didn’t seem to be around. But something did strike Key as odd. A small stream of Pokemon diverged from the main mob, trickling down a specific path towards the northern port, often called Port Jolly Roger. 

“There’s a couple of Pokemon heading towards the port up there!” The Dark type yelled out against the howling wind.

“ Smells like trouble.” Aldora said. “Hold on tight, Key. We’re landing!”

Before the fox Pokemon could protest, the flying Shaymin tucked in her paws and swooped down. With incredible speed, she dove further and further closer to Port Jolly Roger, at last landing atop a nearby building with a final flap of her winglike ears.

“Doing alright?” She asked the child on her back, who simply responded by toppling off of her, colliding on the roof with a thump.

“My l-legs… j-jelly…”

“Not bad for your first time flying.” Aldora assured him. Her levity was quickly broken by a commotion beneath them. They had a perfect view for spying on the line of Pokemon clambering towards the ocean.

At the end of one of the docks was a rickety rowboat swaying pathetically against the ocean wake. Mr. F stood at the boat’s side, perched on a nearby pole with a far more sour expression than Key had seen before.

“Hurry it up, will you!” He squawked.

Mr. O stomped towards him, arms full with a heavy sack of… something. He tosses said sack on the rowboat, nearly destroying the flimsy wooden structure.

“Watch it, you oaf!” The Fezandipiti shrieked. “That’s our ride!”

“If you got a problem, do it yourself!” The Okidogi snapped back, baring his fangs.

A few paces off, the Munkidori was herding the small squadron of poisoned Pokemon. They all carried something or other with them, trudging along in a fairly organized queue until reaching the blue chimp, at which point they unceremoniously dropped whatever they were holding at his feet. Satchels, food, items, cloth. A small hoard of treasure quickly piled up, all the while Mr. M watched along in delight.

“A little something to remember this dump by…” He snickered.

“We have no more space on the boat for that, you loon!” Mr. F cawed behind him. “Or would you rather we leave you behind as dead weight?!”

“You should have gotten a bigger boat, then!” Mr. O snarled. “Looting this place is least we can do! Babyface is gonna have our hides for botching the Delivery Service deal!”

“If that dullard Shaymin couldn’t appreciate the splendor of my pitch, it was a lost cause to begin with!” He flicked his plumage haughtily. “Maybe the little brat will go easy on us when we present him with this little brat!”

He crowed maliciously while pointing at the rowboat. Under one of the benches was something neither Key nor Aldora had noticed at first as it matched the brown coloring of the wooden boat. But it was distinctly fluffier than wood.

“Hei!” Key exclaimed, but Aldora hastily put a paw to his lips.

Mr. O’s ears twitched. “You hear that?”

“I only hear the sound of your pea-brain powering down.” The Fezandipiti hissed. “It was the girl.”

He glared down at her. “Poor little halfwit. Took to the poison excellently. I’m sure Babyface can find some use for her.”

Hei was unresponsive, save for occasional spasms of pain. In a weak voice, she called out. “M-mochi…”

“Yes, yes.” Mr. F looked unamused. He suddenly snapped his head back to Mr. M. “Wise Guy! Did you not hear me?! We are leaving!”

“Can’t we just make a Water type carry the rest?” He whined, eyes never leaving the pile of loot.

Aldora ducked down. “Key, wait here.”

“Wai—“

Key felt a brutally sharp razor of wind, and in an instant, Aldora had vanished from his side. The Shaymin shot down from the rooftop, spinning mid-flight like a torpedo and piercing the air with a harsh whizz. The three pirates only noticed the small flying blur for a second before she had already landed and released a devastating Seed Flare around her. Stunned, the misters simply flinched.

“What the—“

“Is that—“

“The Shaymin?!”

Aldora glared at them with shimmering emerald eyes. “Not another word. Just give up.”

The crooks froze. After several seconds, it was Mr. F who finally breaks the silence. With a nervous and high-pitched laugh, he covered his beak with a wing. “Tough talk coming from a Grass type. We hear you can’t handle Poison very well.”

Mr. O cracked his knuckles. “Ya know, we’re still pretty wounded from your rejection. So wounded we could really stand to take our pain out on someone.”

Mr. M slithered up behind her. “Consider it a free sample.”

The purple chain that coiled around the Munkidori’s head sprang to life, grabbing for the Shaymin, but she was too quick, springing up into the air and pirouetting around them with ease.

“G-gah, she’s fast!” The chimp exclaimed.

However, a sharp set of talons caught her midflight, tossing her back into the dock’s ground in a small heap of dust. Mr. F, flapping his wings above her, simpered. 

“Not fast enough, it seems.”

Aldora’s instincts sprang back to life and dodged the incoming flurry of talons. With the Mythical now distracted, Mr. M quickly beckoned towards the gathering of zombified Pokemon, who had all the while been standing mindlessly.

“Quickly, you fools! Seize her!” He squealed. 

“Mochi-mochi…” They muttered in unison before slowly plodding towards the fight.

Meanwhile, Key had been petrified where he stood, watching the action from above. It was clearly a brawl several levels above him. However, a voice echoed in his head that snapped him out of his paralysis.

A thief always thinks on his feet, never his fists!

Right. Even if he couldn’t win the fight, he could certainly help in his own way. 

In a puff of smoke, he disappeared.

The battle below raged on. Between the small army of poisoned minions and the relentless attacks of the Lousy Three, Aldora was too busy dodging attacks to strike back, much less rescue Hei.

“Give it up, Aldora!” Mr. F sang. “You’re no match for us!”

The Shaymin cocked her head high, grinning. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

Mr. O charged at her, slamming his great fists down on the ground. Aldora avoided the move once more, but was intercepted by Mr. F, grappling her in place by the arm. Mr. M then secured her with his toxic chain, which snaked around her until completely constricting her.

“But I would be.” Mr. F smirked. “Game, set, match.”

The Mythical gasped for air. The toxins of the Munkidori’s chain began to seep within her, and she could feel her vision fading. 

No… She must protect the town. Her home!

In the next moment, she thought her resolve had blinded her from the pain, for she felt free. But really, she was free. Mr. M’s chain had let her go? Why? She arched her head back, trying to find the monkey.

But Mr. M laid facedown on the ground, squished into the gravelly pavement. The heel that kept him down twisted, further grinding the pathetic chimp against the rocks. Heels adorned with delicate little green sprouts.

A strange Pokemon stood atop Munkidori. Enveloped in a verdant cloak, its face was concealed by a terrifying teal mask, depicting a jagged-toothed ogre with a resplendent crystal engraved in its forehead. Peeking out from its cloak was a cudgel, enveloped in barbed vines. It was a Pokemon not even Aldora had seen before.

Misters F and O clearly had, though. They faces blanched instantly and they instantly took a couple of steps back.

“Th-th-the…” Mr. F quivered.

“The ogre!” Mr. O yipped.

The ogre, as they called it, lept into action, swinging its cudgel at them. Mr. F barely avoided the blow, but the Okidogi was not spared, and promptly bonked on the head. A single blow from the spiny weapon proved enough in knocking the giant canine out cold.

“Yip-yip-yip-yippee!” The Fezandipiti squawked in fear. “Forget this! I’m out of here!”

He zoomed past both ogre and Shaymin, flying toward the ocean on frantic wings. Just as Aldora stood to give chase, the peculiar stranger placed a delicate paw (though cloaked) on her shoulder. In a surprisingly feminine voice, it said:

“I got dis!”

The ogre merrily skipped to the end of pier, its feet clicking against the wood. With astounding ease, it lifted the rowboat that was docked nearby with one arm, and flung it at the Fezandipiti with unbelievable strength. With a scream and a crash, the bird Pokemon fell to the sea, reemerging from the water moments later as he floated like a dead leaf on the salty foam along with the shipwreck debris. As soon as the Fezandipiti was knocked out, the brainwashed Pokemon ceased their attacks. They returned to their unmoving stupor like their batteries had run out.

Aldora was too horrified to rejoice. “Hei!” She looked at the masked ogre frantically. “A young child was inside that boat!”

“No, she wasn’t!”

A plucky voice declared. Both Grass types turned to the source. It was Hei! But the little Eevee was still out cold, collapsed on the floor with a pained expression. How did…?

“Um, over here!” The voice called. Next to the Eevee, almost inscrutably tiny, was a Joltik. “I totally saved the day!”

Aldora recognized his voice. “Key?”

“The one and only!” On cue, the Joltik erupted into a puff of smoke, replaced by the familiar Zorua. “While you guys were doing your thing, I made sure to save Hei all sneakily. I may have looked as small as a Joltik, but I still had my Zorua strength!”

The Postmaster let out an incredulous laugh. “My, how resourceful! Good thinking, Key!”

“Heh, yep!” The young lad sniffed proudly. “But uh… Aldora, who’s your friend?”

The pair returned their focus to the masked stranger.

“I’d like to know that too.” Aldora offered. “You’ve saved the day, dear stranger. May you introduce yourself?”

“Yeppers!” A high-pitched voice responded from beneath the disguise. The ogre unmasked herself, revealing a sunny orange face. Positively adorable, even. It beamed at them with star-filled eyes, and offered a snaggletoothed grin.

“Pleased ta meetcha! My name’s Ponkan da Ogerpon!” She struck a pose. “Special Agent Ponkan da Ogerpon! Dat’s wut m’badge says!”

She pointed proudly to her chest, where a badge of sleek platinum repeated the title.

“Sorry I wuz late! I gots distracted!” The ogre chirped. “And thanks a milly! I’ve been chasin’ affer dose meanies fur furever!”

Key and Aldora exchanged nonplussed looks. 

“Special agent…?”

“Yeppers! Like da coppers!” The Ogerpon skipped around absentmindedly. “I wuz assigned ta catch dees meanies! Dey go by Wise Guy, Pretty Boy and Big Fella. Dey’ve been causin’ all sortsa mischief, don’tcha no?”

“So… they were wanted criminals?” Key asked, still reeling.

“Yeppers! Dem meanines werk for a reaaaally mean meanie! Dey go round trickin’ Pokeymans outta money an’ doin’ all sortsa dirty deeds!”

“Do you mean to say they’re part of a crime syndicate? That they were henchmen?” Aldora asked politely. 

Special Agent Ponkan hopped atop the fallen Munkidori’s back, who let out a defeated oof. “Yeppers! Dey owed lotsa money ta da big boss! See dis?”

She pointed at the purple chain adorning Wise Guy’s head. “Dis means he werks for Babyface!”

“Babyface…?” The Shaymin repeated. “The name sounds familiar.”

“He’s mostly a big deal in da Sand Continent! Lotsa Pokeymans owe him big bucks! And dees three are da… enforcers!”

“Seems like a nasty guy.” Key grimaced.

“Yeppers…” The Ogerpon frowned. “Bad news, dat one. ‘Specially nowzadays.”

“How so?”

“Babyface and his gang usually werk super sneaky-like. Makes ‘em hard ta find.” Ponkan explained. “‘Cuz it’s all shady bidniss. But nowzadays, dey’ve been causin’ all kindsa big-time mischief! Just look at your town!”

Indeed, mass mind-control, vandalism and theft definitely seemed to fall under ‘big-time mischief’.

She continued. “So we coppers wuz all confoosed. Goin’ round poisonin’ towns, wreckin’ stuffs, causin’ general mayhams for no reason? Wuz wit dat? So we gots ta thinkin’. We’s thinkin’ Babyface is werkin’ fer someone else. Someone who’s payin’ him da big bucks ta make big-time mischief!”

Aldora’s expression hardened. “Who could benefit from this?”

“I dunno!” The special agent shrugged. “But dey’re serious bidniss. Dem meanies came up ta you wit a bidniss deal, right?”

“Yes. They intended to use my delivery service as a means for distributing their poisoned snacks. It seemed their intent was global reach.”

“Hum, hum…” Ponkan nodded pensively. “Yeppers, dey’re tuff customers. Whoever’s orderin’ Babyface ’round is tryna make big-time mischief for all da continents.”

Aldora stomped her paw, now restless. “I simply don’t understand why!”

“Well, we coppers gots some theories. But uh… da most likely one is not very fun. Promise ta keep dis a secret.” Her expression turned sorrowful. “It might be dat dis meanie is tryna bring back Dark Matter.”

The ogre’s words paralyzed Aldora. Key however, only seemed confused. “Dark Matter? What’s that?”

“It’s bad news, puppydoggy.” The special agent warned. “A hunnert years back or so, da world almost ended for goodsies. It wuz Dark Matter who tried ta end it all. It’s da most evil ting in da universe.”

“Was.” Aldora corrected firmly. “It’s gone now. The Hero made sure of that. She destroyed Dark Matter.”

“Dark Matter was born outta negative feelins. Shore, da Dark Matter from a hunnert years ago wuz destroyed, but dat don’t mean another one can’t be born nowzadays wit enough negativity floatin’ ’round.”

“That’s… wretched…” Aldora’s voice was hardly above a whisper. “To bring back that calamity… why?”

Key tucked his tail between his legs. “Aldora? Are you okay?”

She turned to him as if he had just arrived. Her horrified expression slowly smoothed out into a smile, though her brows were still etched with worry. “Of course, Key. This is all speculation. What matters now is that these villains have been apprehended.”

Ponkan perked up at those words. “Yeppers! Dees meanies are comin’ wit me ta th’ Alabaster Citadel fer some serious interrogatin’!” 

“The Alabaster Citadel?!” Key balked. “Where they lock up all the roughest, toughest outlaws of every continent?”

“Da one an’ only! Master Warden Rimes is gunna straighten’ ‘em out lickity-split!”

The mere mention of the Citadel forced a chill to run down the young Zorua’s spine. “Yikes…”

A whimper interrupted his dread. His partner, after all, was still lying next to him, knocked out by the effects of the poisonous mochi. 

“Oh, Hei…” He said, nudging her with his snout. “We knocked out those crooks but you’re still sick…”

To this, Aldora smiled. “That’s no issue.”

She approached the shivering Eevee and placed a shimmering kiss on her forehead. A beat passed, and then another. Finally, Hei’s body relaxed, and her eyes fluttered open.

“Wuh…?” Hei smacked her lips together as if waking up from a particularly long nap. “Miss Aldora? Wow, you look cool.”

“Feeling better, Hei?” The Mythical Pokemon asked gently. “I absorbed the poison afflicting you.”

“What?!” Key gawked. “You can just do that?! Aldora… you’re kind of awesome! Scratch that, extremely awesome!”

“Do you want to see something really awesome?” Aldora winked. 

She took some steps back and charged, swiftly gaining enough air to float high in the sky after a few wing beats. The three Pokemon squinted to keep her in sight, but the gratitude Pokemon had become enveloped in a peculiar light.

The ogre looked on, perplexed. “It looks like…”

“She’s charging up a move?”

As if on cue, they felt an overpowering gale sweep the air. Not just at the port, but throughout all of Crossroad Town. Although Key struggled to keep his eyes open, he noticed purple particles ascend to the air and towards Aldora, as if she were attracting them somehow. The purple puffs gathered and gathered, becoming completely lost within the Shaymin’s radiant light, until all Pokemon of the town were blinded by a harsh flash.

When the light subsided, the first thing they noticed was the deliciously fresh breeze. It was as if they stood at the peak of an untouched mountain, such was its purity. 

“Wowzer!” Special Agent Ponkan clapped. “A special trick!”

“What just…”

The mob of Pokemon that had previously remained motionless suddenly regained conciousness, murmuring to each other in confusion.

Hei smiled. “Look at that! Everyone’s snapped out of it!”

“Aldora must have absorbed everyone’s poison!” Key exclaimed. “She really is something!”

The Shaymin gingerly swooped back down, landing like a flower petal to greet the anxious residents of the town. As she did her best to assure them everything was fine, Key helped Hei up to her feet.

“Feeling better?” He asked.

“Tons better! I could really go for something to eat now!” Hei wagged her tail. “You gotta tell me what happened while I was out!”

“It’s a long story, that’s for sure…” Key sighed, more in relief than exhaustion. Together with Ponkan, they looked on as Aldora spoke to the others. “Everyone really relies on her, huh?”

“Miss Munchmoney said she practically built the town. I’m sure everyone respects her.”

“Must be hard, having to take care of so many people.”

“She didn’t have to do everything alone! You were here!” Hei said.

“Hm…”

“An’ I wuz here, too!” The Ogerpon interrupted. “An’ now, I’m outta here. Time ta round up da baddies!”

With a hop and a skip, Ponkan made haste in gathering the three outlaws and putting them in cuffs (very special ones, according to her). Once the dust had finally settled, and the townsfolk at last returned to help clean up the mess at the town square, the four ragtag team of Pokemon faced each other one last time.

“What will you do now, Special Agent?” Aldora asked.

“I’m gonna wait for da other coppers ta show up! Den, away to da Alabaster Citadel we go! Wit any luck, Babyface is next!” The ogre beamed. “You guys are super-duper, so I trusted you wit all kindsa copper secrets. But don’t go spreadin’ ’round wut I told yous, okay?”

They promised.

“Allow me to wait with you, then. I would call our very capable Chief of Police, but I hear he’s still recovering from mochi poisoning.” The Shaymin then turned to the duo of children. “As for you two, I’m sure today was more than enough excitement. It’d be best if you returned to the headquarters and checked up on everyone. And of course, have yourselves a well-earned meal and bath!”

“Yes, m’am!” They chimed in unison.

The Grass Types watched as the four-legged children darted off, leaving only them and the three unconscious crooks.

“You’s a class act, hedgeyhoggy!” The policeman patted the postmaster roughly. “We coppers thank ya tons!”

“It was my pleasure.” Aldora replied politely. “Please keep up the good work.”

The gratitude Pokemon wandered a bit further, stepping on the wooden dock and gazing out into the brilliantly blue sea.

Her heart churned like the waves below.