Streetwise

Once the door was closed, Guildmaster Zephyr looked down at the Litten below him. Xander avoided eye-contact, opting instead to make an embarrassing clacking noise from his mouth. The Flygon blinked a few times before clearing his throat awkwardly. “So, what’s your deal?”

“Ex… excuse me?” Xander finally looked up at the Headmaster. An important Pokémon speaking to him in such a casual manner was significantly more off putting now that Xander was alone.

“You clearly know Melrose, but I don’t want to make any assumptions. Would you mind telling me what’s going on?” The Flygon laughed as he rubbed the back of his head with his claws. “I feel completely out of the loop.”

Xander felt a twinge of guilt. Of course Guildmaster Zephyr would have no clue what to think of him: a Pokémon around Melrose’s age who’s just tailing along and has hardly spoken a word. Actually, now that Xander was being forced to think about it, he realized he hadn’t said anything up until this point.

Xander tucked his head down into his chest. “I’m so sorry, sir. My name is Xander, I came with Melrose because Gaius wanted someone to keep her safe while she’s living in Constella.”

“Ah! That makes a great deal of sense, actually!” Zephyr smiled fondly. “Oh Gaius, still so protective and touchy after all this time. Hmm… but that means you aren’t a student.” Zephyr frowned down at Xander. “I hate to say it, but you can’t be housed in the Academy while staying here. At least, not at this present time.”

Xander’s ears drooped. He expected this, but was really hoping Gaius wasn’t planning on sending him to an unfamiliar city, with no money, expecting him to just figure it out.

Zephyr rubbed a claw against his chin. “There’s just a few things I can’t budge on here at Red Academy. I’m sorry, Xander.”

“No, don’t be sorry.” Xander’s tail lashed. “It was entirely on a whim that I’d be coming to the Capital anyways. This is negligence on Gaius’s part, if anything.”

“Hey! Don’t say that.” Zephyr crossed his arms, but was also laughing. “Gaius knows I wouldn’t let a kid just run off into the streets with nowhere to go– especially not a friend of Melrose’s. I just can’t let you stay here. So, worry not!” Zephyr pumped his fist before starting to fly back the way he came. “Follow me, Xander!”

Xander did as he was told and ran after Zephyr. It was nice to finally have a decent feel for his limbs, but his mortal enemy was right around the corner… stairs. The Litten grumbled to himself as he watched Zephyr fly effortlessly down to the lower levels of the Academy. Must be nice, being able to hover around like that.

Who truly had the last laugh was up to debate, as Zephyr was just going to have to wait patiently for Xander to carefully climb down the large steps.

Once Xander had caught up to the Guildmaster, Zephyr held a claw up. “Wait right here, I need to fetch something from Ms. Adeline.” The Flygon fluttered over to the room Xander last saw the Clefairy go into, and Zephyr soon returned with a large pouch. “It isn’t a permanent solution, and I’ll do my best to situate you with something better as soon as I can, but here–”

The pouch was set in front of Xander, making the very distinct sound of coins clanging together. “Wait, this is money– Isn’t it?”

“Yep! 10,000 Pokécoins! That should easily secure you a week or so at a nice hotel.”

Xander didn’t know what to say. Sure, this Pokémon knew Xander was with Melrose, and that he was sent by Gaius, but was it really okay to give him this much? 10,000 Pokécoins difference was enough to make Koa throw a fit. “This doesn’t feel right. I’ll find a way to pay you back as soon as I can, sir.”

“C’mon, don’t worry about it!” Zephyr cheered as he started to hover back up towards the balcony. “You should go get situated, but feel free to stop by after sunset! The semester hasn’t started yet, and I don’t mind letting you eat at the Academy!” He flew off, not even waiting for a response from Xander. “Later, Feraligatr!”

Xander could hardly budge from the spot he was standing. A Pokémon he knew for all of 30 minutes just gave him a bunch of money and their full confidence that he would spend it right. Although Xander wasn’t planning on doing anything stupid with such a generous sum, surely the Guildmaster had been deceived before in his lifetime? Why were all these Pokémon trusting him so easily?

The Litten looked back down at the pouch. It seemed small for 10k, but that probably meant the Pokémon of this land had some higher value coins. Finally composing himself, Xander picked up the pouch with his mouth and began his long walk to wherever the nearest inn was.

Returning to the streets was considerably more unpleasant when you weren’t being carried around on a cart. Plus, his housing was being guaranteed by a bag that was only secured to his person by teeth. His ears flattened as he shoved through a few slow-moving crowds. He was in desperate need of some directions, but loathed the idea of asking for some. If only Melrose was with him, she’d gladly ask a complete stranger where she needed to go.

Without warning, Xander felt something collide at full force into him. The Litten was sent tumbling into the street, and felt the world start to spin once he was flat on his back.

“Ah, shit. I’m sorry.” A Pokémon with a hood draped over his head was staring down at the now roughed up Litten. “I didn’t realize how fast I was going.” As the Pokémon helped him to his feet, Xander was able to get a much better look at him. He was a small fox Pokémon with silvery gray fur and large, blue ears that stuck out of his navy hood.

“Augh… Don’t worry about it.” Xander shook his head, trying to get his vision straight. “It was an accident.” While regaining his bearings, Xander realized this would be a decent opportunity to ask for navigational aid. “Say, uhm, do you know where the nearest hotel is?”

“Hotel? Sure. If you turn left down that path over there, I believe there’s a place.” The Pokémon made a quick gesture, raising his paw towards the road he was talking about. “Anyways, I’m in a bit of a hurry. Sorry again.” Without another word, the fox Pokémon took off once again.

“Huh. Weird.” Xander shrugged his shoulders heading down the road he was pointed towards. If that Pokémon was right, then the nearest hotel was right around the corner. After Xander was properly oriented, he made his way down the path.

Along the new road was a building that looked promising, ‘The Drowsy Munna.’ Xander carefully crossed the street and pushed the door open, being immediately greeted by a large, yellow Pokémon sweeping the floor.

“Mmm? Oh, hello dearie.” The old Hypno smiled and gave a soft wave. “Can I help you?”

“Erm, yes. Is this a hotel? I need a place to stay for a few nights.”

“Oh? Why yes, we are a hotel! You must not be from around here…” The Hypno propped the broom against the wall and made her way slowly to the front desk. “We don’t get a lot of business these days, what with those fancy new age hotels popping up… Gosh darn the new-fangled appliances.”

The Hypno went on, but it wasn’t really anything Xander knew a lick about. So, he just watched as her old bones carried her to the counter. She opened up a book and adjusted a pair of glasses on her face. “Blast it… these are so dirty, I can’t see a thing. REMMY!” Her sudden yell made the fur on Xander’s back spike upwards. “REMMY! I CAN’T READ THE BOOKS! CAN YOU COME HERE, LOVE?”

There was a loud sound of something being knocked over, then a quiet mumble, before another old Pokémon entered the room. He floated slowly over to the Hypno, “what was that, dear? I couldn’t hear you…” The Musharna chuckled softly. The Hypno opened her mouth wide, but was quickly silenced by the Musharna placing a hand against her mouth. “I was just joshin’ you, honey.” He let out another mischievous chuckle before looking down at the book. “Dear… All these Pokémon have checked out already. You forgot to mark it.”

“I did? I could have sworn I’ve been keeping good with the books.” The Hypno let out a cackle. “Maybe, I’ve just been dreaming that I have.”

“Anyhow, that means our total guests right now are… zero.” The Musharna looked over at Xander and smiled. “Ah, will you be staying with us, young man?”

Xander nodded his head. “How much for a week’s stay?”

“A week, huh? That should be…” He looked up at the ceiling, attempting to do the math in his head. After an extended period of silence, the Musharna looked down at his wife. “Dear, how much would that be?”

“For what?” The Hypno glanced up at her husband.

“For a week’s stay. How much would that be? I’ve completely forgotten the new price we set for the rooms…” The Musharna laughed with a snort.

Xander’s tail flicked, “Hey, uh, don’t worry about it. How does 7,000 sound? That’s 1,000 a night, yeah?”

Both Pokémon’s eyes widened, and they looked at each other before squinting down at Xander. The Litten tucked his head slightly, worrying he had somehow offended them.

“Young man, we could never make you pay that much to stay at our little place. That’s a big-shot hotel price!” The Hypno frowned at Xander, but hearing her say this tugged at Xander’s heart.

“It’s settled then, I’ll pay you 7,000.” Xander smiled up at both of them. “This money was a gift, so let me share that gift with you two.” He purred with a sense of delight before his heart skipped several beats. “Wait, I’ve been talking this whole time– I’ve been–” Xander’s pupils turned to slits. “The money! It’s gone!”

The Hypno and Musharna glanced worriedly between themselves. “Oh dear…” The Hypno mumbled, “Young man, do you think you were robbed?”

Xander recoiled. “ Robbed! I feel so stupid! How could I have lost all that money– It was just given to me!” Xander felt his claws unsheath and sheath over and over, and he couldn’t help hissing at the ground.

“Calm down… You may have just dropped it.” The Musharna floated over to Xander. “Though, if you dropped it on the streets… there’s no way someone didn’t pick it up for themselves already.”

Xander pressed his forehead against the floorboards and clawed at his scalp as he growled. What was he supposed to do now? If he walked back to the Academy, he would look like a total idiot to the Guildmaster. Or, worse, Zephyr would think Xander was trying to steal more money from him. What worried him even more was his memory failing him; how had he not noticed the money was gone the second he had dropped it?

“Ugh! If this city had maps or something, I wouldn’t have had to duck and shove through all those Pokémon! I was so occupied with the thought of finding the hotel, and the idea of asking directions, that I–” Xander went still. That’s right. That Pokémon–

Musharna extended a reassuring hand out to Xander, but gasped when the Litten booked it at full speed out the door. “Goodness gracious!”

Xander’s ears tucked back against his head as he ran swiftly through the streets. The city may be full of Pokémon moving around at all times, but that thief’s distinct article of clothing surely had to make him stand out in a crowd. Right now, he didn’t care about getting lost in Constella. All he wanted was to get the Guildmaster’s money back.

Something about the mission was driving Xander to move in ways he thought impossible a day ago. He was ducking under large Pokémon, jumping over crates, and dodging incoming passer-bys. He assumed that the criminal would’ve been heading towards the plaza, since he was going the opposite direction as Xander. Once he got there, he put his front paws up on the nearest stall and shouted. “Did you happen to see a Pokémon wearing a blue hood pass by!?”

“Whoa kid!” The Furret running the stand squeaked. “Chill out, would ya! I ain’t seen no Pokémon like that, m’kay?” Xander hissed and hit the counter, toppling a few things over. Before he could get angrier, the Furret smacked her lips. “Actually… Ya know what? I think I did see a guy in a hood. They ran through the market all in a hurry. I wasn’t paying that much attention but, I think he went…” She pointed towards an unkept path that led into an alleyway. “That-a-way?”

“Thank you, miss.” Xander didn’t hesitate to go the way she pointed. The Furret let out a “Ha-rumph” before fixing everything at her stand back to the way it was.

Xander slipped into the gloomy alleyway, too focused to feel the unease he reasonably should. His nose twitched as he tried to get the scent of any other Pokémon, and he pressed close to the ground while taking careful steps. Where are you, bastard…

“Aww, so cute.”

Xander whipped around to see that the thief had somehow made it behind him. Without thinking, Xander made an attempt to pounce on him, only to end up crashing into a wall. The outlaw grinned a sharp toothed smile while removing the hood from his head, which revealed the pleasured look in the shiny Nickit’s eyes.

“You want to know something really funny?” He licked the back of his paw and used it to slick the hair on his head back. “I actually ran into this alley a long while ago. When I saw you running down the streets like a crazy Pokémon, I just knew I had to follow you.”

Xander growled, “Where’s my pouch! The one you stole from me!”

“You’re making some pretty nasty assumptions about a stranger, aren’t you?” The Nickit pouted, as if he was actually hurt by Xander’s words. The Litten yowled and made another attempt at a wild attack, which the thief easily evaded. However, this time Xander was able to watch him use the Quick Attack to leap out of the way.

“My, my.~ Temper, temper.” He held a paw below his chin and smirked playfully. “Feisty. I love it.”

“Ugh! Stop talking to me like that!” Xander’s tail lashed.

“You know, you could have alerted the authorities.” The Nickit ignored Xander’s demand. “Send the guards after me. It is their job, after all. But no… you wanted to apprehend me all by yourself.” This time, the Nickit attacked him first. He slammed the Litten against a stone wall with a well aimed Quick Attack, which winded Xander enough to make him easy to pin to the ground. The Nickit whispered in his ear, “ I wonder why that is ?”

Xander tried to squirm out of his opponent’s grip, but he just wasn’t strong enough.

“Even if you could beat me, I don’t have your money. In fact, I wasn’t even the one who ran off with it.”

He just had to catch his breath… and wait for an opening.

“I’m sure you can afford to lose a measly few Pokécoins .” The Nickit used one of his paws to tug harshly at Xander’s necklace. “You’ve got this glitzy accessory ‘round that pretty neck of yours. Why don’t I try and pry this off ya too?”

The Fox Pokémon grinned as he stared into Xander’s eyes, enjoying the fear on the Litten’s face. However,  Xander knew that look was exactly what the thief wanted, and now that his guard was down– the Litten was able to use his back legs to kick his opponent off. The Nickit yelped like a hurt puppy once his stomach was struck, but he was able to scramble to his feet much faster than Xander. Both Pokémon stared across the alley at each other.

“Even if you don’t have it, you clearly know where my money went! Spill it, or else I’ll knock you out and drag you to the authorities myself!” Xander knew in his heart that this was mostly a bluff. There was no way he’d be able to knock out an opponent without any moves to use… or rocks to throw. However, he wasn’t scared of this fiend, not even a little, and he refused to back down!

“Augh, please. Do all the Academy kids pretend to be heroes?” The Nickit rolled his eyes. “It’s sickening what wealth does to someone’s mind.”

“What–” Xander bit his tongue, then chuckled slightly. “You’re making some pretty nasty assumptions about a stranger, aren’t you?”

The Nickit tilted his head upwards slightly… and smiled, amused by the parroting of his remark. “Touche. You aren’t a student, then. Interesting. What have you been up to around Red Academy then, little kitty?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Xander puffed out his chest. “Now, tell me where my money is, or else!”

“Or else what?” The Nickit tilted his head. “You gonna rip me to shreds, little mystery?”

“Or else…” Xander snarled, bearing his fangs. “I’m gonna bite your head off that pretty neck of yours. ”

“Oooh.” The Nickit crouched down, readying another Quick Attack. “I think… I like you.”