Chapter 8: Hit By, Struck By, a Rough Criminal

“Come on, Litleo, what are you doing? We’re going to miss it if you keep daydreaming.“

Litleo opened her eyes. She found herself sitting in the guild lobby, facing the entrance. A soft yellow glare was coming from the courtyard. The light blinded almost everything except who was in front of her. Litleo’s partner gazed at her, tail wagging enthusiastically.

Rockruff flashed a toothy grin. “What’cha thinking about?”

“Oh… nothing. What are we going to miss?” Litleo said, smiling.

“Going to play that card, huh? Well, follow me outside for the secret surprise.”

They passed under the arch. The glare intensified, shrouding Litleo’s sight entirely. She shut her eyes but it was still just as blinding.

“Ugh! Flash? Really? That’s a terrible surprise,” Litleo exclaimed. She waited for the blindness to wear off before opening her eyes. Confusion entered her mind.

The scene had shifted away from the guild. Now she was in some sort of cave. The walls were mirrors, reflecting her on both sides. An array of light blue and green crystals hung on the ceiling, illuminating the area. Rockruff was nowhere to be seen.

“Rockruff?” Litleo called, her voice traveling down the dark passage ahead. Her chest tightened. “Where did you go?”

“I’m right here,” Rockruff said. His voice echoed all around her.

“Where? I can’t see you.” Litleo tried to turn her head, but it wouldn’t budge. In fact, she couldn’t move at all. What was going on?

Rockruff materialized a few feet away. He stared at Litleo with a neutral expression, then turned his back toward her. He started walking into the passage.

“Wa- wait! Where are you going?!” Litleo shouted. She desperately wanted to reach out. He was right there.

Rockruff continued walking. “Wait? I’m only returning the favor.”

“What…? What are you talking about?”

“Keep pretending you don’t remember. You left me.”

“No, I didn’t! I wouldn’t-“

“You left me to save yourself. And now it’s only time you felt the same.”

The darkness swallowed Rockruff. The crystals behind Litleo began shattering, dimming the space. Flakes of crystal dust rained on her as the last of them burst, leaving her in pitch black emptiness.

---

Litleo jolted awake.

RIIIIIP!

Stuffing from the pillow flew into the air and landed on her nose, eliciting a sneeze. Litleo searched for the source of the noise and noticed her claw embedded into the cushion’s seams. She retracted it, blinking in embarrassment. ‘Dang,’ she thought. Litleo glanced at the empty pillow beside her. The memory of her recent dream flooded her mind. ‘All that battling, and I’m still not tired enough to not have dreams. They’re getting worse and worse…‘

Even though it was dark, Litleo decided it was best to collect the stuffing and put it back in the cushion. She needed something to settle her nerves. Any distraction was better than none at all. Once satisfied she had gotten the majority, she set it in the corner and made a mental note to tell Indeedee about it later.

Litleo curled into a ball and waited for morning to arrive. Some sleepless hours later, the sun’s rays crept through the window. All the clouds from yesterday’s shower were gone, indicating a bright sunny day. She left her quarters and descended the stairs. She turned the corner only to bump straight into Indeedee. Indeedee grabbed Litleo’s shoulders to steady them both.

“And an early good morning to you, Litleo,” Indeedee greeted. She quickly frowned. “My my, such turbulent emotions.”

Litleo shoved past her and scowled. “I thought I told you not to read me.”

“Indeed, but I can’t exactly turn them off when I feel like it. You ran into dear old me. What was I supposed to do, fall?”

‘Maybe.’ Litleo mentally kicked herself for thinking that. “No, but…”

“But? What’s troubling you this morning?” Indeedee said, watching her expectantly.

“…I accidentally tore one of the pillows in my sleep. I figured you’d want to know, in case it needs replacement.”

Indeedee pursed her lips. “You’re telling me, an adventurer of your caliber, is worried over a ripped pillow?” She shook her head. “As if. Is there at least one other pokémon you trust enough? Family? That cutie Ezera, by any chance?”

“There is one,” Litleo answered.

“And that is?”

“Myself. See you around, Indeedee.”

Litleo ignored Indeedee’s pout and plopped herself down in the lobby. The guild members slowly trickled in, talking amongst themselves. Ezera came into view rubbing his left eye.

“Morning,” Ezera yawned.

“Hey. You’re up again without Wartortle’s warning. Impressive,” Litleo said.

“I like to think my body acts like a toaster. It winds up when I go to sleep, and in the morning it just pops up, ready to go.” He mimicked something popping into the air.

Litleo stared at him, trying to wrap her head on what a toaster was. “I’m going to say you’re crazy and leave it at that.”

“You probably don’t know what a toaster is, huh?” Ezera said. “Like the name says, it’s a device you use to… toast bread. Hm. Saying it out loud makes it sound weird.”

“We have fire-types for that kind of thing anyway.”

“But what happens when there’s not a fire-type around?”

“Then you just eat it?” Litleo answered. ‘Where is this conversation heading?‘

“Blasphemy!” Ezera said, placing his hands on his hips. “Bread always needs something. How do you eat it all boring and… floppy?” To prove his point, he wiggled his hands imagining it was bread. The slightest giggle escaped Litleo. Ezera instantly grinned and pointed at her. “Ah ha! So you do find me funny.”

“You’re not,” Litleo countered, quickly returning to a normal expression. “Not even close.”

“Too late. You laughed and that’s that.”

“Keep dreaming.”

The rest of the guild soon filed in. Sirfetch’d and Rapidash stepped onto the podium.

“Adventurers! Good morning. We have something important to announce,” Sirfetch’d stated.

“Ooh! Ooh! It’s about that dynamax in Verdan Forest, isn’t it?” Pichu shouted, on top of Pachirisu’s head.

“Yes, dear,” Rapidash acknowledged. “As you might have heard, an oddish was able to dynamax without a Wishing Star.”

“This is the start of something terrible, isn’t it?” Corvisquire called out.

“Like the Days of Ruination, yah? That’s a yikes from me,” Gana said, shivering.

Concerned murmurs from the guild members began filling the air.

Rapidash stomped her hoof. “Reuniclus has assured the Guildmaster and I it is nothing of the sort. I believe we can take her word for it. Rest assured, she is doing her best to look into it.”

“Aye, that is nice and all, but we want to know who took the ‘mon down. Give’em a round o’ applause. That’s no small feat,” Wartortle said.

“If you must, then direct your applause to Litleo, Dewott, and Ezera. They, along with Reuniclus and the wildmon, swiftly brought the situation to a close.”

Scattered applause and stomps sounded out. Litleo glimpsed Dewott and Applin hanging out at the east hallway. Applin was nudging Dewott teasingly.

“Back to the matter at hand,” Sirfetch’d said, “we are asking that you keep an eye out for any suspicious figures or activities. But! That does not mean to harass ghost and dark-types more than others. We are better than the closed minded way of thinking, capiche?” The guild members nodded in agreement. Sirfetch’d rapped his shield. “Oy! I’m hard of sight, not hearing.”

“Yes, Guildmaster!” the guild members shouted.

“Good. That is all.”

“No pun today, Guildmaster?” Yamper asked.

“Hmph! Greatness can’t be rushed,” Sirfetch’d replied.

“Alright, dears. Dismissed. Happy adventuring. Let the sword guide you,” Rapidash said.

“And the shield protect us!” the crowd chanted.

“Vibrava, Ezera, Litleo. A word please,” Rapidash called.

Litleo and Ezera approached the podium. Vibrava flew up and landed beside them. ‘Ugh, did he really have to be here?’ Litleo thought.

“Let’s begin. Ezera, I’m sure you are aware today is the fourth day of your test,” Rapidash began.

“We’re finally nearing the end,” Ezera commented.

“Quite so. For today’s assignment, you will be tracking down an outlaw. Vibrava will assist you with a bit of information.”

Litleo scoffed. “Can’t wait to see how this turns out.”

“Wait, like a criminal? Aren’t I too new for this kind of thing?” Ezera said, rubbing his fingers.

“An outlaw is Pecha Berry pie compared to facing a dynamax,” Sirfetch’d reassured. “You’ll be chasing the lesser thieves anyhow.”

“Vibrava has contacts in the outlaw network that might prove useful,” Rapidash explained. “You’ll be taking down Growlithe, a thief who has been stealing off elder pokémon.”

Ezera crossed his arms. “Seriously? What kind of no life takes things from them? Now I’m kinda mad.”

“That’s the spirit!” Sirfetch’d said, pointing his sword high. “We will leave you to it. Your target won’t wait around and neither should you.”

“Best of luck, adventurers,” Rapidash said. She and Sirfetch’d departed for the courtyard.

“Yo, wassup?” Vibrava greeted, turning to Ezera and Litleo. He sized Ezera up. “You’re a lil’ scrawny for a dragon-type.”

“Uh, I’ll be sure to work out or something…” Ezera replied.

“What do you have for us?” Litleo asked.

Vibrava narrowed his eyes. “Nothing I wanna share. Least of all with you.”

“You don’t like it and neither do I. But the Vicemaster ordered you to tell, so what’s it going to be?”

“Psh. You lucky. Anyways, Growlithe picks his marks by scouting them out in advance. When he’s ready to make a move, he’ll use an Invisify Orb to nab their belongings and book it. Word on the street says he got a new camp near Fentil Village. You wanna find’em and his next target, he’ll be there.”

Ezera looked between them. “Where is that exactly?”

Litleo took out her Wonder Map. She moved the map over to the bottom right of the continent and zoomed in. “Here. It’s north of Turntop Cave.”

“You dunno where Fentil Village is? You brainless or something?” Vibrava remarked, wings twitching sporadically.

“You can go now, Vibrava. Shoo,” Litleo dismissed, waving a paw.

“Whatevah. Have fun, outcasts,” Vibrava said. He flew into the east hallway.

“Well, I think I can consider him the first rude pokémon I’ve met in my time here,” Ezera commented.

Litleo stuffed the Wonder Map back into her satchel. “Don’t tell me he hurt your feelings.”

“I’m not that sensitive… What happened between you two?”

“Nothing. We’ve never worked together before.”

“If that’s the case why’d he act so cold toward us? Or you?”

“He…” Her expression darkened. ‘He’s probably one of the ‘mon who blame me for what happened.‘ She shook her head.

Ezera tilted his head. “What’s up?”

“You know I’m not going to give you the answer you’re looking for anytime soon.”

“I know,” he admitted, grinning, “but I’ll keep asking, just in case.”

Litleo’s heart almost performed a Teeter Dance. “Uh huh. You’ll be asking for a long while. Come on. We’ve wasted enough time already.”

“Wait, how are we getting to Fentil Village? Are we walking through Turntop Cave?”

“Obviously.”

Ezera slouched. “Oh man.”

“Not,” Litleo added. She padded to the center of the lobby and looked back. “We’ll take the Drednaw Ferry down by the wharf. Or did you forget about them already?”

“Right, that’s a thing…”

They walked to Kaiyo Town, making a pitstop to Sandygast’s Storage for Litleo to replenish her items, then went on their way. They entered the wharf and walked onto the sandstone docks. A spiky orange shell bobbed in the waves. Litleo reached out with her paw and tapped it. A scaly blue head emerged and sleepily looked at her.

“Aaah. Hullo chaps,” the drednaw said. “Where’ll it be this fine day?”

“Fentil Village… please,” Litleo replied.

“Well, since you asked so nicely. I’d give you a discount, but you already ride free cause of the guild. Hop on.” Drednaw angled his shell for them to board.

“Errr, what if I slip off?” Ezera said, eyes growing wide.

Litleo hopped on the drednaw’s back nonchalantly. “If anymon should be scared of the water it’s me. Relax.”

“Is this your first time riding? No need to fret, I’m steady as a boldore,” the drednaw encouraged.

“Okay, here goes…” Ezera inhaled and stepped onto the shell. He quickly grabbed one of the larger spikes to stable himself.

“All okay up there?”

“Uh, yeah,” Ezera answered as Litleo giggled. “I think I’ll just… hang here for a bit.”

“The fear will wear off as we go along. We are now off to Fentil Village!” the drednaw announced.

---

“So long, chaps! Always a pleasure.”

Litleo and Ezera dismounted the drednaw, stepping onto sandstone again. Ezera fell to his knees and stared at the floor.

“Oh I missed you solid ground,” he declared.

Litleo rolled her eyes. “We weren’t even on there for long.”

“Long or not I still prefer being on land.”

“We’re going to have to take it back so don’t get too comfortable.”

Ezera stiffened. “Aw damn, you’re right.”

They left the docks and continued on the mulch path. The mixed log homes and sophisticated tents of Fentil Village came into view, all settled among the wide plains. Silver wind spinners rested on many of the green roofs of the homes. For the tents, rainbow banners hung on their sides. Tall wooden posts were set up in between the buildings, with Luminous Orbs hanging off the tips. Litleo picked up the scent of extinguished campfires and crinkled her nose.

“Pretty place,” Ezera said, gazing around. He moved to the side to avoid a shinx, treecko, and cherubi chasing each other. “Reminds me of those getaway retreat areas I see ads for.”

“Retreat? You could call it that. This village is for pokémon who want to lead a slower life,” Litleo explained.

“So… kinda like a retirement home. Would you live here, if you ever decide to quit the guild? I probably would.”

“No. I haven’t even thought that far ahead.” Her tail curled inward. ‘Not to mention lounging about all day would kill me.‘

They stopped at a random home. The front of it had a sign that read ‘Blissey’s humble home. Please knock.‘

Ezera tapped his tusks. “Where do we even begin? There’s probably a ton of elders in this village. And if Growlithe uses some invisible device, how would we even catch him?”

Litleo put a paw to her head. “Why do I keep forgetting you lack knowledge of almost everything? Step one of finding a petty thief. Figure out their patterns. Chances are Growlithe targets the pokémon least popular or active among the residents. That way if something happens to them, not much attention is given.”

“Huh, good point. So we’ll need to ask around on who’s the least known.”

Litleo nodded. “Step two. Think like them. So far Growlithe has been successful. He might be getting a little careless in his actions. And for his species, I’m pretty sure he is. He’ll likely waltz in and use the Invisify Orb after he’s collected whatever items he’s planning on stealing.”

“How long does the invisibility last?” Ezera asked.

“Not too long. If you’re hit it immediately wears off.”

“And here I thought it was some overpowered item. What’s the next step?”

“Catch them in the act and hand them over to the officers. Simple,” Litleo said, brushing her chest.

“I didn’t know you were such a detective,” Ezera commented.

“I wasn’t before. My old- other, partner taught me.”

Ezera picked up the hint he was nearing the touchy subject once again. “Um, we should start talking to the locals, right? See what we can find out?”

“…Yeah. Start over there,” she directed, tail pointing opposite of them. “I’ll take care of this side. Meet me back here when you’re done.”

“You got it,” he said.

The two canvassed the village, stopping any pokémon they ran into. Litleo finished rather quickly due to her more direct approach of questioning, and waited impatiently for Ezera to reappear. She had a mind to go after him when he finally ran up to her.

“Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long,” Ezera said, slowing himself.

“What were you even doing?” Litleo asked.

“Uuh, talking to the locals?”

“You were getting to know them again, weren’t you?”

“Aha… how else was I supposed to ask them?” Ezera let his arms hang and spoke in a lower tone. “Hey you, tell me everything I wanna know just cause.”

Litleo bit her lip. ‘That’s basically what I did.‘ She sighed. “Never mind. Did you at least learn anything?”

“Yup. Seems the most quiet pokémon here is Hypno. Spends most of his days sleeping, and when he’s not he watches over the kids.”

“That’s what I gathered too. He lives in the tent over there.” Litleo jerked her head to the green tent a few houses down. “It’s near the border of the village. Not many prying eyes.”

“Which makes it perfect for Growlithe to come in unnoticed,” Ezera said. “Although, if you’re living in a tent, aren’t you asking to be robbed? It barely gives any protection from intruders.”

“They run on trust around here. Stealing is unheard of.”

“If only it worked like that where I’m from… Anyway, what’s the plan?”

“For now, we watch and wai…” Litleo trailed off.

The flap to the tent opened and Hypno drowsily walked out. He waited and scratched his behind before walking in the direction of Litleo and Ezera. He passed them, not paying any attention.

“Um, where’s he-” Ezera began.

“Shh!” Litleo ordered, using her paw to cover his mouth. She pushed him to hide behind the wall of the house. “I think Growlithe is already here.”

They poked their heads to the side, observing the tent. Litleo squinted and noticed the grass flattening, even though nothing was seemingly there. The tent flap quivered as if the wind blew into it.

“He’s in there right now isn’t he? Shouldn’t we go stop him?” Ezera suggested.

“If he fights back we risk burning the village down. We need to trail him farther out,” Litleo answered.

“Oh. True.”

The flap quivered again and a set of paw prints retreated from the tent. The air shifted and Growlithe popped into view, wearing a bag similar to Litleo’s. Noticing his invisibility had worn off, he broke into a jog.

“Come on,” Litleo said, following after him.

Growlithe jogged toward the end of the village and ducked into the corner between two homes. Litleo’s tail shot up in alarm.

“We can’t lose him!” she said, bolting ahead.

Ezera tripped and fell trying to catch up with her sudden movement. “Oof! Hol- hold on, Litleo!”

Litleo turned the corner and found herself facing Growlithe. She opened her mouth to speak when a pink mist exploded and filled her nostrils. Her eyelids drooped and she swayed on her feet. ‘Don’t tell me… he…‘ Litleo hit the ground fast asleep.

---

Ezera picked himself off the floor and glanced at the corner Litleo disappeared into. Pink swirls of mist wafted out of it. ‘What in the world is that?‘ he wondered. He held his breath and went to inspect. Growlithe stood over Litleo’s sleeping body, picking out a pair of bluish-gray scarves from her satchel.

‘Why does she have scarves in her bag?’ Ezera tossed the thought aside. He could ask her later. “Hey! Move away from her.”

Growlithe looked up. “Drat! Knew I used the Slumber Orb too early. So much for a clean getaway.”

“Give the items you stole back, and maybe we won’t have too much of a problem.”

“I’m not being caught today. Later!” Growlithe threw the scarves into Ezera’s face and hopped over the two of them, sprinting away.

Ezera pulled the scarves off and shook Litleo. “Hey, get up! Growlithe’s making a run for it!” His words fell on sleeping ears. ‘How do I wake her up?‘ An idea hit him. “Sorry, Litleo. Don’t hate me for this.” The familiar itch formed in his throat and he spat a fireball at Litleo.

Litleo swatted him back as she became alert. “Ow! Is that how you choose to wake someone up?”

“I could’ve left you sleeping. You were snoring pretty good, but that’s not the point.” Ezera held out the scarves to her. “Here. Let’s hurry and catch him.”

Litleo hurriedly swiped them from his hands, glaring. “Why do you have these?”

“Excuse me, Growlithe almost took them from you. A simple thank you would suffice.”

She shuffled her paws. “…Thanks.”

“Good enough for me. Now, you ready to catch this thief?”

They ran in the direction Growlithe went, leaving the village behind and entering more open territory. Growlithe rounded the top of a hill and disappeared from sight. Ezera grimaced. His legs burned. How could all these pokémon run so much? ‘I guess that’s what happens when they don’t have computers or office jobs…‘ He pushed himself up the hill and saw Growlithe scrambling to reclaim his scattered stolen items. The different ornaments and glinting Poké were a mess among the greenery. Ezera surmised Growlithe must’ve stumbled on the way down.

“We’re in Hollow Hop Burrows. Watch your step,” Litleo stated.

“Am I… going… to fall in somewhere?” Ezera said, breathless.

Litleo went down instead of answering. Growlithe abandoned collecting the items and sneered.

“Heh. Should’ve known the guild isn’t like to give up. Why not try that approach one time, just for me?” he said.

A rush of flames left Litleo’s mouth. Growlithe curled his body, absorbing the flames and forming a wheel of fire. He spun himself forward. His Flame Wheel moved quickly, striking her flank. She recoiled from its impact. Ezera appeared by her.

“Just so I’m sure, you’re a fire-type, right?” Ezera asked.

“You’re asking now?” Litleo said, eyeing Growlithe retreating. “Duh!”

“I’m only checking-” He leaned back from a sailing burst of embers. “That you’ll be fine against Growlithe. If there’s one thing I learned about pokémon, it’s that typing is NOT consistent with color.”

“Can your nonsense wait until after we finish here?” Litleo replied, charging in.

Ezera was right behind her. Growlithe tossed his bag to the side and planted his paws into the floor. Litleo almost reached him when he released a bear-like roar, flinging her backwards. Ezera skidded to a halt and threw his arms up, hoping he would be spared from the knockback. He wasn’t spared from the follow up attack, however. A furry shoulder struck his chest, upending him.

“Should’ve let me escape before!” Growlithe shouted, ready to breathe fire all over Ezera.

His flames were snuffed out as Litleo tackled him to the ground. She bit down on his right leg, earning a loud yip. Growlithe Roared her once more and covered himself in a fire wheel. He zigzagged for a brief moment, then aimed for Ezera. Ezera barely dove in time to evade it.

Growlithe circled Ezera and Litleo with surprising speed. “What’s next?!”

“If he keeps using Flame Wheel he’ll become too quick for us to hit him,” Litleo said.

“I’ve got something I wanna try,” Ezera said. “Make him use it again.”

Litleo didn’t ask what he had in mind. She let loose her own fierce roar, with little effect. She pretended to charge in. Growlithe smirked and went into Flame Wheel again. Ezera eyed him and shot a Dragon Rage, missing. ‘C’mon, focus!‘ He aimed again ahead of Growlithe’s trajectory, taking an extra second to time his shot. The Dragon Rage flew and successfully interrupted Growlithe’s momentum. The outlaw tumbled to a stop. ‘Yes! All those aiming games weren’t useless.‘

“Don’t let him get up!” Ezera commanded.

Litleo’s mane flared and she spewed a wave of fire to keep Growlithe down. Ezera went in close and threw himself on top of their foe.

“Agh! Are you normal?! Get off me!” Growlithe barked.

“I’m not, but thanks!” Ezera responded, using his free hand to scratch Growlithe’s sides. Bits of fur floated into the air.

Litleo watched with mild amusement as the scene unfolded. Growlithe bucked to and fro but couldn’t manage to shake Ezera off riding his back. Desperate to be free, Growlithe rose on his hind legs and fell, pinning Ezera. Ezera’s grip weakened, giving Growlithe the time needed to break away.

“Heh… heh… your partner’s a looney,” Growlithe hissed, staggering to his bag.

Litleo sauntered over and laid a paw on it. “He got the job done. And as long as you’re put behind bars, I could care less.”

Ezera couldn’t help but smile as he stood up. ‘Is that her complimenting me?‘

“Like I said… I’m not planning on being caught!” Growlithe sprinted to the field ahead.

Ezera took a step. “Hey! He’s-“

“Not going anywhere,” Litleo interrupted, holding up a forepaw. “Watch.”

Growlithe continued running into the field ahead. Ezera rubbed his fingers, unsure what to expect. They observed Growlithe stop and glance down. He then disappeared by dropping into the ground. Ezera rubbed his eyes.

“What just happened to him?” he said.

“Like I said,” Litleo mocked, “this is Hollow Hop Burrows. If you’re not careful, you could easily end up in a pitfall.”

They carefully walked to where they last saw Growlithe. Sure enough, he laid in the center of the pitfall, dirt piled on him and eyes spinning. A pair of drilbur emerged from the soil.

“Honey, I told you the hole was too big! Now you’ve trapped an innocent ‘mon in it,” drilbur number one said.

“He’s actually not innocent. He’s a thief,” Litleo explained. She flashed the guild badge.

“Seeee? Big holes have big uses,” drilbur number two argued.

Litleo jumped down and motioned for Ezera to join her. “Help me drag him out of here.”

“You win this time…” Growlithe mumbled.

“Save the dramatics. You’re lucky I don’t knock you out here for trying to steal my stuff.”

“Such nice stuff too. Where’s a gal like you get items like those scarves anyway?”

“None of your business. Try anything funny, and I’ll make sure Ezera here rides you again.”

That promptly shut him up. They hauled Growlithe out of the pile, taking him back to Fentil Village. Litleo alerted the guild, who in turn alerted the police. A magneton and munna arrived to take Growlithe away. Ezera turned his head to the sky.

“Would it be so hard to ask if the final guild test isn’t a fight of some sorts?” he mused.

“I thought you enjoyed them,” Litleo sarcastically commented, tail swishing. “Your earlier display might finally make you capable of guild work.”

Ezera grinned. “Impressive, huh?”

“Reckless, idiotic. Sure, why not call it impressive?”

They lapsed into a momentary silence. Ezera fidgeted with his fingers. “I uh, wanted to ask, why do you carry those scarves? They seem too valuable to be carrying on you.”

Litleo’s expression softened and she instinctively hugged her satchel. “Do you need to know?”

Ezera frowned. “I think I should get at least some sort of explanation. How do I know you’re not a thief?”

“Ha, that’s something I’d say.” She sighed. “These were his gifts to me.” She pulled one out. The sphere insignias shimmered faintly from the sunlight. “When I find him or he comes back, I want this to be the first thing I give back to him.”

“I’m assuming you’re talking about Rockruff?”

She shut her eyes, tail curling tight. “Yeah.”

Ezera couldn’t help but empathize. The situation reminded him of his relationship with Elessedil. A lost friend. That burning desire to reconnect. The hole in the heart…

“Are you satisfied now?” Litleo asked, putting away the scarf.

“I am,” Ezera said, breaking his thoughts. “Thanks for finally opening up a little.”

“Don’t plan on it happening again. Are you ready to leave?”

“Ah yes. I can’t wait to ride my new favorite mode of transportation.”

“Lighten up,” Litleo scoffed. “You were fine the entire time.”

“Lighten up? You are the last person- I mean pokémon to be telling me that!”

A pair of eyes hiding in the shadows watched Ezera and Litleo depart the village. Morgrem twirled his dark bang with a finger.

“That was a close one, Morg. Imagine if they found us,” Zigzagoon said.

“I ain’t dumb ya dolt. Why you think I had us hidin here?” Morg said. He thoughtfully tapped his chin. “That Litleo was holdin a fancy item. If we could get hands on it, hehe…”

“Morg, you scare me when you do that face…”

“Think about it. If we take that, we’d get our revenge and say Team Punker beat that damned ‘venturers guild.”

Zigzagoon’s ears drooped. “Are you sure? That scarf seems important to her.”

“Bah, who cares about her feelins!” Morgrem waved off. “She screwed with us, and now she’ll get it. I got the perfect plan to make this happen. Watch me.”

---

Litleo and Ezera sat in the mess hall that night, eagerly eating away the day’s fatigue. Various guild members surrounded them, creating a busy and lively environment. Ezera paused for a second, noticing Dewott’s familiar shape in the corner of his eye.

“Dewott! You busy?” Ezera called.

Litleo put her eating on hold as she watched Dewott stop. He placed the tray of empty plates he was carrying down.

“I’m finishing up here. Why?” Dewott signed.

“If you haven’t eaten, you wanna join us? It’d be nice to have someone to talk to, unlike a certain someone,” Ezera said, sticking out his tongue at Litleo.

“Say that again. You’re only adding more Embers to the count,” Litleo warned.

Dewott tapped his scalchop nervously. A small smile formed on his lips. “Sure thing.“

“Great! We’ll wait for you,” Ezera said.

Dewott grabbed another set of plates from the table next to them and retreated into the kitchen. Litleo threw her forepaws in the air to stretch.

“I didn’t think you’d pick Dewott as your first friend here,” she said.

“Technically you’re my first friend, but you keep denying it so…” Ezera shrugged. “I’ve got to make do somehow.”

“Rejoice! Your favorite team of pokémon has descended upon the guild!” a haughty voice shouted.

Litleo and Ezera turned their heads to the archway. An orange fox stood under it, puffing out his chest. Litleo scowled. ‘Thievul. If he’s here then…‘ Two other pokémon came up on Thievul’s left side, going quiet as they realized the room staring at them. ‘Of course Inteleon and Deuce would be right behind him.‘

“Thievul, what did you do this time?” Inteleon asked.

Deuce loosened his blue colored hood. His body was coated in white, but his wings were a deep shade of black. “Something annoying probably.”

“Team Ace! Back already?” Corvisquire said. He and a few other guild members went to greet them.

Ezera scratched his head. “Uh, who are they?”

“Team Ace. The blue ‘mon in the center is Inteleon, he’s their leader,” Litleo elaborated. “Then you have Thievul on his right. To his left is Deuce.”

“Deuce?” Ezera repeated. “That sounds like a nickname… or wildmon name thingy.”

“You’re right, that’s his wild name. Decidueye is his species. Their team is regarded as-” She used her forepaws to form an air quote. “The guild’s best.”

“Sounds like you don’t agree.”

“Wow, what gave it away?”

“Any particular reason you dislike them?”

“I’ve got plenty.” Litleo rolled her eyes. “Oh great. They’re coming over here.”

“So, the grumpy Litleo can make new friends after all,” Inteleon teased, folding his arms. “Researchers will be shocked by this discovery.”

“Was that an attempt at a joke? Maybe you should rethink your career in the guild and switch it to comedy, cause your team is laughable,” Litleo said.

“Yowza! She did not just have the audacity to roast us,” Thievul remarked.

Inteleon leaned on a table. “Hmmm. Your tongue is still as sharp as ever. I did miss hearing it during our long excursion.”

“And where did that take you this time?”

“That’s a secret. You had to be there to see it, unfortunately.”

“It was delightful though!” Thievul added.

Deuce coughed into his wing. “Clearly Litleo wants to know why we’re bothering her.”

Litleo sighed. “Finally. Somemon with common sense.”

“Truthfully, I just wanted to check out the new member we might be having. Dragon-type and all, we might have some competition fellas,” Inteleon admitted, looking at his teammates. “And of course, let you know that we sadly did not come across any sign of your partner on our trip. If I didn’t know any better, it’s like he never existed in the first place.”

“Or somemon doesn’t want him found and is hiding evidence,” Thievul said.

Litleo’s eyes narrowed. “What are you implying?”

“Nothing… at the moment. But if there’s a case, it’ll be solved by Team Ace. Don’t forget that. Ta ta,” Inteleon stated.

His group left and Litleo sat staring at her paws. Ezera rested his arms on the table.

“Hey. You okay?” he asked.

“Fine. I’m fine,” she answered.

“I’m always here just in case.”

‘Sure you are,‘ Litleo bitterly thought. ‘This isn’t something your whole kindness act can fix.‘ Dewott came out of the kitchen and was about to pull up a chair when Litleo hopped off hers.

“Take mine, Dewott,” Litleo offered.

“Oh, where you going?” Ezera inquired, face showing a hint of worry.

“To sleep, or some sense of it at least. I’m not hungry anymore.”

“Alright… goodnight then. See you in the morning.”

“Night.”

Litleo padded off to her quarters. As she walked, a single thought plagued her on repeat.

‘You left me.’