Phil hopes out of his Ball and follows the group, seeing the ghostmons.

"What the hell is going on here?" He asked under his breath.

Old Warmth - Blik Hiney's Booth

The waitress comes back with a tray of food and sets it down. She sets the plates of pancakes in front of the two mon. As the Spinda picks up the bottle of maple syrup, she stumbles over her own feet and the hot and sticky contents of the bottle spill all over the table and Armin if you want.

Old Warmth - Von Gold's Booth

The waitress comes back with a tray of food and sets it down. She sets down Von Gold's crepes and Malica's scrambled eggs and toast in front of them. She turns to Snaptooth.

Spinda: Your Spinda Surprise is still being prepared.

Von Gold speaks up to get her attention.

Von Gold: Hey, mind if you remove the dividing wall when you get the chance? I want to feel the ocean breeze.

Spinda: Sure, I'll get to it when I come back with the Spinda Surprise.

She then leaves.

Holstown Inn, Outside

"But... why would Autumn go with them? I thought she... ?"

Mila can feel those emotions bubbling back, even so soon after her previous outburst, and she has to shut out the voices of those around her to keep it down. It hurts, it hurts her not not have someone she can rely on like she could with Autumn right now, and if it weren't so completely her fault that all of this had happened she'd be very close to feeling betrayed at how she was left alone. Still, that voice in her head tells her that if she didn't want this, she should have done better. She could have avoided so much by simply not running, not having these outbursts. It's unreasonable to expect others to keep on picking up after her. Even now, she knows that she's just going to push away a whole new group because of this. Because Autumn couldn't handle her any more and now she was someone else's problem.

Marshlands

" Eliot, after this I think I'm going back to Foxfell; I want everyone who can to come with me, so that we can avoid all of this. If you really mean what you're saying, isn't it best to give up on this stupid adventuring so we don't have to risk it all? There's an army back there that can handle the issues, not us. "

Autumn continues to speak even as the smeargle moves away, consoling herself just as much as she's confiding in him. She hopes that she'll be able to find some way to stop this chain of madness, because right now it's pulling her further than she ever wanted to go. Why did Niles have to be on the line? Why did it have to be something she couldn't just give up? Why did it have to cause Mila to end up like this?

The Dusclops brings her back to the present, as she finally looks up from her feet to take in the area around herself, and for a moment wonder about the history of the place instead of the future of their group.

"So what was it like, then? Being a pro fighter and all that?"

Philo starts slightly. It wasn't like Róisín to try and begin a conversation of her own accord - the Roserade was usually more content to sit in silence and listen.

"Well... I hope you will forgive me for asking, Róisín, but is there any particular reason this question is on your mind?"

"Eh... it's just, it's been months and I still don't know much 'bout you. Besides, now's as good a time as any to start on the craic, aye? We've got a whole bloody lot of walking left to do."

If he stopped moving, he was dead.

"I suppose that makes sense. Anyway, where would you like me to start?"

"Like I said. What was it like? In general? How was it, beating other Pokemon into the dirt for a career?"

"That is... quite the way to phrase it."

"It's accurate, though, aye?"

Philo smiles, agreeing without having to say a word. Since she's taken an interest, he may as well indulge her.

"Well, Róisín, I happen to have more than a few tales to share..."

The smoke burned his eyes. The heat, even from this distance, made him feel like his limbs were ready to wilt. The hills were bathed in a flickering orange glow.

It pained him, thinking how all that he loved was burning to cinders behind him. But it was nothing compared to the pain he would experience if he couldn't escape.

"...the primary media reaction, once they realised my mind had a power comparable to my body, was incredulity. A brawler with a brain? Perish the thought! It was alien to them, the idea that one who had trained to physical perfection would have thought to hone his mental faculties in the same way. A ridiculous assumption, as far as I am concerned."

"Mmmm... call me ridiculous, but I'd have thought people who beat the crap outta each other for a living were a bunch of meatheaded eejits myself."

"Not so! You would be surprised how many of my contemporaries were engrossed by my nascent philosophies!"

His expression darkens somewhat.

"...then there was Hiram Wasserman."

It was their fault. All their damn fault, because they had been too stubborn to leave.

From the moment the Hydrox Pirates had arrived on its shores, Tuhinga Island had been slowly turning into a ghost town. Port Totokiko's populace had been the first to go, of course - forced out of their homes when the Hydreigon and his men declared the town their base of operations. Those who tried to stay soon found themselves on the wrong end of the pirate's blades. It was the same story afterwards, again and again - if you didn't flee your village, you would be there to watch it ruthlessly destroyed, assuming the pirates hadn't felt merciful and killed you first.

The Atarangi family's little farming village had been the last remaining settlement on the island not inhabited entirely by Hydrox's minions. Throughout his life, Jerome Atarangi was a stubborn man. So stubborn, in fact, that even as Tuhinga was torn apart around him, he remained steadfastly attached to the island. What use would pirates have for him, after all? He was a simple farmer, with not much in the way of material possessions. The constant warnings that the Hydrox Pirates were no ordinary buccaneers went unheeded.

Some small part of Mason Atarangi wanted to curse his father, whose obstinacy had been his doom. But the part of him grieving at the realisation that his dad was dead overwhelmed it.

"Who?"

"Hiram Wasserman was a Hydreigon fighter. His career began around the time my prime years were coming to an end."

"And? What was so special 'bout him?"

"Not to sound as if I am blowing my own trumpet here, but... while I still maintain very few of them were idiots as is so often assumed, you would be correct to assume I was far ahead of most of my fellow prizefighters in terms of intellect. By and large, they were followers, listeners, not philosophers on their own terms. That was not the case with Wasserman. From the moment he first emerged on the scene, he was startling reporters and crowds with his eloquence, his vast knowledge of seemingly endless subjects, his devotion to an idiosyncratic personal code that evolved and grew stronger with every battle he fought.”

”Reminds me of you.”

”Precisely! Wasserman's species could not have looked more different than mine, yet it nonetheless felt, from a distance, as though I were looking into a mirror. The prospect excited me. Here, at last, was a fellow brawler who could match me, not only in strength, but in wits as well! I grew ever more giddy in anticipation of the moment we could exchange ideas as fellow intellectuals...”

The dark, moody facial expression returns.

”Then we finally met.”

He knew exactly where to go.

Mason's family had constantly warned him in his youth not to wander onto the forested mountains that made up the interior of Tuhinga Island. The forests were dangerous, they said, nothing but endless dense foliage that you would wander helplessly in, not knowing which way was which, until some wild Pokemon decided a young Fomantis would be a tasty snack. That may be true, but Mason was a Lurantis now, strong enough to take on any predator - or so he hoped. As for the density of the trees? That was now his only hope. There was precious little chance the pirates could find him among the undergrowth, especially when he was plant-based life himself.

He was focusing intensely on the treeline ahead. He could barely hear over the roaring of the flame behind him and the pounding of his own heart. His vision was blurred by the ashen fog, and the unnatural flickering orange light, and the tears.

All this meant he didn't notice the Midnight Lycanroc charging towards him until there was already a rough paw wrapped tightly around his neck.

Mason tried to yell, but the Lycanroc's death grip meant he could only gasp for air. He instinctively jabbed his bladed arms behind him, aiming where he thought his captor's head might be; something hard and smooth effortlessly parried the attempted blows with a loud clang! A second lupine arm, this one tipped by a long, vicious steel hook, wrapped around his torso, holding the Lurantis's limbs firmly in place.

”Where are you off to, eh?''

His captor was male, to judge by the voice – a deeply unpleasant voice, shrill and cackling, somehow both giddy with glee and dripping with barely concealed venom.

”Thought we'd got all of ya, we did! Guess I wasn't thorough enough... shoulda brought my sword hand, eh?”

The Lycanroc laughed, and he laughed and he laughed and he laughed. Any hint of humour was gone within the first second or so; the rest was nothing but loud, deranged, emotionless noise.

”Anyways, anyways... oi, bossman! I found one! I got a straggler!”

There was a brief silence. Then Mason heard the incoming sound of large, leathery wings in flight.

”One of the final truly great fights of my career was against Wasserman. The league publicists certainly extracted much hype from the premise – witness the greatest champion of the old generation, pitting his skills against one of the brightest young stars! That we were both renowned for our intellectual powers outside of the ring merely deepened the sense of spectacle. Few sporting events have ever attracted as much pre-emptive attention as Peritopoulos/Wasserman.”

”I will not bore you with a blow-by-blow account of our battle, for that isn't the relevant portion of all this. All you need to know is that, in spite of heavy handicaps imposed upon me to balance out my grotesque type advantage, I defeated Wasserman in a long and hard-fought contest. It lived up to the hype and then some. I still hear Peritopoulos/Wasserman mentioned by those who were there, awed to this day by the display...”

”Uh, didn't you just say the battle wasn't the relevant bit?”

”Ah, yes, so I did. My apologies! Anyway, the important part of this story is the aftermath. Seeing my chance to finally meet another intellectual face to face, I intercepted Wasserman in the dressing rooms after the fight, before the press stormed in to bombard us with droll interviews. He seemed willing to have a chat himself, and we began on peaceful enough terms... then I mentioned my desire to create a utopia, to teach the world how to be at peace.”

”The mental alarm bells began to ring when his response to this was a scornful laugh. He told me I was an idealistic old fool. Battle, he said, was the natural state of things. Peace to him was a deplorable construct, designed to suppress the true strength of character and sense of purpose that came with a life of warfare and struggle. And to battle by himself in the ring was not enough, for he loathed this supposed defiance of the natural order everywhere he found it. If he could, he would tear down every last institution that maintained peace, and the whole world would be a war zone.”

”...okay, what the fuck was wrong with him?”

”A question I essentially asked myself, once his ranting and raving was over with. He just laughed again and said I'd understand soon. He would fulfil his vision some day, and he didn't care what lengths he had to go to.”

The Hydreigon landed softly for such a huge beast, his six wings curling back into an idle position. He was facing Mason as he landed, six red pinprick glows locking with two larger, paler red eyes dilated in sheer terror.

Mason had never seen this mon before, but he knew instantly who it was. Hydrox.

The Hydreigon let out a soft, contemplative noise before speaking. His voice was deep and resonant, with a guttural undertone that crackled like the fire raging in the distance.

   ”So one did manage to escape. Excellent work, Lockdown – at both finding this fine young specimen and restraining your urge to kill him where he stands.”   

The Lycanroc cackled harshly.

   ”Lockdown, ease your grip a little. I'd like to have a stimulating chat with this young man.”   

The arm around Mason's neck loosened just enough to let him breathe easier. He lamely tried to struggle again, but a threatening twitch of the razor-sharp hook inches from his neck made him quickly think better of it.

   ”What's your name?”   

”M-Mason...”

   ”I will credit you with this much, Mason. You must have had a certain resilience and guile about you, to escape the blaze we started and avoid detection in the process. And if you were planning to hide in the forests, that suggests quick thinking in dire situations and a willingness to take risks to ensure you will come out the better of a situation. All traits that could be quite useful to our little crew.”   

Something about the pirate captain's casual tone, after he had overseen the destruction of everything Mason had, caused a wave of hot anger to bubble within the Lurantis.

”Fuck off! I'd never work for yyyyghhhh...

Mason's shouting transformed rapidly into a panicked, gurgling gasp as Lockdown's hooked arm constricted his windpipe. All the rage cooled down into desperate terror – the fear of death. Hydrox simply laughed, a genuinely amused laugh, as if these were all very amusing, harmless hijinks.

   ”Language, language. Don't kill him now, Lockdown, it'd be a terrible waste.”   

All Mason could think, as the suffocating grasp loosened once more, was how glad he was to be able to breathe again.

   ”I understand that you might not want to join me. After all, my crew have just performed... some actions I imagine will cause you a good deal of short term distress. But there's no need to worry – turn me down, and I'll simply let dear old Lockdown cure you of your grief. Permanently.”   

What little will to fight was left within Mason crumbled at the easily acted-on death threat. It was hopeless. He was a coward, he didn't want to die...

   ”Besides, the life of a buccaneer is quite bracing... you'll have plentiful new companions... I'm sure, given enough time, any sense of despair over what you have lost will vanish, replaced with camaraderie and a renewed vigour. It certainly worked for the last straggler we picked up.”   

Lockdown cackled again at the reference Mason couldn't understand. That screeching laughter was going to become the sound that haunted Mason's nightmares for the rest of his life, he was certain of it.

”A-a-and what if I'm not cut out to be a pirate?”

   ”Then we decide not disposing of you as a loose end was a mistake. And we rectify that mistake.”   

With that, Mason's terror at the concept of his own mortality overwhelmed everything else.

   ”So what shall your choice be, Mason?”   

”A-alright, I'll join you, I'll join you! Just don't kill me! Please!”

His awareness of his own words was minimal. He was speaking on autopilot, gibbering and stumbling over his words in his desperation to ensure he lived at least a few days more.

   ”An excellent decision, if I do say so myself. Take him back to the Lerna with us, Lockdown. We'll have to see about getting him broken in.”   

And so Mason Atarangi was forcibly turned around, facing the incinerated remains of what had once been his home, and lead away by Hiram Wasserman and Amadeus Lockhart towards the distant spectre of a galleon's sails.

”Well, will you look at that? We're here!”

”...huh. Thought Holstown was still a few hours away.”

”Let's be glad it wasn't, eh? Now how about we find those friends of yours?”

”Wouldn't really call them my friends, but alright.”

And so Róisín O'Keeffe and Philo Peritopoulos wander into Holstown, totally unaware of all that has transpired since they were gone.

Ruins

Okay, now I'm kinda gettin' da heebie-jeebies. (Marsha admits, putting her arms up defensively as she walks on.)

(I feel an immense chill as we enter these ruins, from the combined efforts of the dim sunlight, the derelict buildings and the haunting, yet melancholy singing from the nearby Ghost-type Pokémon. I can't help but look at them for a moment to see if the Shiny Haunter is there among the singing Pokémon, but she doesn't appear to be unless she stopped wearing that red hat she had earlier. She said she and her friend were heading to another island anyway, didn't she? Why would she be here, then?)

(I look around as we move on.) W-Where do you suppose Montresor is going to be here?

I'd guess somewheres real spooky. (Marsha says.) I guess dat could mean anywhere here, though. Nori?

The Marshlands to the Ruins

"...I don't know if that feels right, Autumn. We're not exactly citizens..."

[My ears pick up music...I whistle along to what I can hear. The sound bounces off the stone ruins we enter, and I wipe my feet off of grime and dirt after stepping against the cold stone. Is that respectful? I know it's instinctual.]

[The music gets louder...an opening leads to a gathering of Ghost Pokemon in a circle...I continue to whistle along to the chanting. It's very soothing...I even clap along with them. The others may want to move ahead (scaredy cats, the lot of 'em), but I linger behind, bobbing back and forth with the music.]

Holstown, Outside the Inn

Woodruff hangs on Mila's words with worry. He can tell she isn't doing well at all...shifting closer to her, he lays a hand on her shoulder.

"What's the matter, Mila? You can talk to me..." He says having only known her through the inn before all this.

Blissparce, The Restaurant

"Ahh, don't worry, lad. It's personal matters, ah won't encroach on th—those WOAH!" Taylor A looks around, amazed. That had actually happened. It was like a trip on Persim leaves (she never did them herself, but come on, she was a police officer), an honest-to-Xerneas out-of-body, in-body experience.

"Omigosh, that was...weeeeiird! I looked like him, I sounded like him...I thought like him!" She rocks back and forth in her seat, still reeling in wonder and bewilderment from it...it was certainly strange, but not unenjoyable.

[Ruins]

"Somewhere past the catacombs, which I presume is where that entrance leads to", Noriaki explained, "We should... Keep..."

Noriaki looks over to Eliot, who is joining in the chant with his whistling.

Upon realizing that there are travelers close, the crowd of Ghost Pokemon turns around and disperses for the most part, save for the Dusclops.

The Dusclops's body dissipate in the wind much like sand, blowing forward and reforming... Uncomfortably close to the group.

"Who are you? What business do you have here?", the Dusclops asked, it's red eye unblinking, "If you are wanderers here by chance, turn around. There is nothing for you here."

A Mimikyu pokes out from the facades of one of the buildings further back, shaking.

[Holstown]

"It looks like it might be better to just give her some time", said Minato, "She'll speak and listen when she feels ready again, best not to rush that."

Ruins

(Marsha wastes no time in trying to explain their presence:) Well, look, Clops, we're kinda here 'cause his old "friend"... (Marsha points to Noriaki and then makes airquotes while saying "friend".) ...wanted ta meet him heres, and da rest of us are here ta back 'im up. Hardly call dat chance, just sayin'.

(She mentally facepalms for using her brother's Verbal Tic. Hopefully none of her friends accuse her of being Benji...)

(I get a bit nervous as the Dusclops basically dissolves and comes up to us. I feel like I would be more nervous if I hadn't seen the Haunter do something similar to take on the appearances of other Pokémon like Lane and...wait a minute, where IS Lane...? I hope nothing terrible has happened to him...)

(I regain my senses and turn back to the Dusclops.) Have you seen a Noctowl around here? (I ask. I see a Mimikyu watching us out of the corner of my eye and shudder slightly.)

Blissparce

(I try to think of a possible connection, but nothing is coming to me at the moment.) Um...I can't think of anything off the top of my head right now. (I admit, shrugging. I look to the others.) You guys have anything?

Maybe some sorta...hrm, maybe they all did one particular thing or somethin'? I don't bloody know... (Rich says.)

(Mia looks visibly frustrated.)

It's a weird feeling, ain't it? (Cortez says to the Servine that now sits before him. Momentarily worrying that she may have forgotten what he told her while she was a Rich clone in the rush, he reiterates:) Now, uh, whoever you are, ya remember I said not t' say a word to anyone about anythin' I told you while you were a Rich, right? This is real personal business that I don't want anyone gettin' out unless I'm the one tellin' 'em.

The Catacombs

Using at least one ounce of mental strength within me, I speak to the Dusclops...who is uncomfortably close, almost dangerously close, of course.

Well, yeah, were told to come here...a Noctowl told us to be here. You see him?

Holstown Inn

After some time inside, the Blastoise lumbers his way to the door and the others, somewhat confused as to what he is seeing.

Is it a bad time?

In the distance, though, he sees a group of mons approaching who look a little familiar..

Blissparce, Pappa's

Not like that..remember the right paw killer? She took the right paws of victims. The victims were all quadruped or so I'm told...

She continues.

So what we could do is ask Wendy what the victims had that the killers took.

Old warmth

Armin does manage to avoid the maple syrup spillage. Confused, and very angry, he yells out.

Ack! What ze hell!?

Old Warmth - Blik Hiney's Booth

The Spinda is red with embarrassment.

Spinda: Oops, sorry about that! My species tends to be clumsy from time to time! I'll go get some towels!

The Spinda leaves. It was at that moment the dividing wall went down and Armin can hear a familiar voice right next to him.

Old Warmth - Von Gold's Booth

The waitress comes back with another tray of food and sets it down. She sets Snaptooth's food in front of him. The Spinda Sunrise is a large powdered waffle in the shape of a Spinda head, with eggs for eyes and whipped butter for a mouth. She also sets a bottle of maple syrup down on the table.

She then turns her attention to the dividing wall. She carefully pulls away the latches holding it in place and the section of wall goes down. Satisfied, she walks away.

Von Gold takes a look through the new window to see a table covered in syrup, with his old assistant sitting right next to him about an arm's reach away. Von Gold narrows his eyes.

Von Gold: Long time no see, Armin! I thought you were still in jail! Not surprised to see that you've made yet another fine mess!

The Gothorita waiter from earlier shows up.

"Hello there, and welcome back to Pappa's. What can I help you with?"

Blissparce (Clue crew table at Pappa's)

Aye, I heard about that. (Rich says.)

Same here... (I say. I can't believe Marlon and everybody else faced down with her...or maybe I can believe it given everything we've already been through beforehand.)

That's assuming they even had anything to take, sis. (Mia says.) I'm not sure what they could have taken from Izzy...

(And then the waiter arrives to take our orders, interrupting Mia.)

Just my usual Wiki salad, please. (Mia says.)

I'll have some of those cheesy rolls. (I say. I've been wanting to try them.)

A Spelon sammich fer me... (Rich says.)

Holstown Inn

(To those inside the inn and those who would enter shortly before the speech, the old Dragalge had spoken to the group.) After some deliberation and some... unfortunate events, we've come up with an idea. We're going to go back to Narcia and look for anything that'll give us an edge. Defenses, monpower, anything that we need for whatever comes next. The original plan was to head to Foxfell, but the time it takes to get there would take up too much time and we're running out of it. We're gonna have to make do with our neighbors, as disheveled as they are now. Any questions?

(Eliza stood by Arsene, meaning that she understood the situation. I, for one, do not necessarily disagree with the old kelp, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea considering what happened yesterday. Still, there might be something of worth despite all that.)

Ruins at Old Eluant

"I wouldn't say there's...nothing here for us, the singing was..." [Right, yes, focus, don't let your music boner get in the way of this.] "...wait, hold you, have you not seen anyone else come in?" [I look around] "Are there...there's other entrances to this place, isn't there?"

Blissparce, The Restaurant

"You got it, man!" Taylor A then zips her lips, locks them tight, and swallows the key. She looks over to the waitress, tapping her fingers against the table.

"So what's it like in Hoard? I've heard a lot of crazy things about it...like it kinda exploded after a tournament?"

The Sea Near Gangplank Cove

Up in the crow's nest the pirate Decidueye looks out at sea with a spyglass. Then, he spots it: land. He moves the spyglass along the coast of the island and comes across a city on a hill with the docks connected to the city like a hand that's clutching the hill. To the right of the city was an old fort on a cliff, and to the left of the city was a lighthouse.

The Decidueye puts the spyglass down and hollers at his boss.

???   Land ho, Gangplank Cove is within sight!   

Spade walks out of his captain's quarters.

Spade:   Excellent. The wind and currents were quite generous to us today as we're ahead of schedule. How long do you estimate our arrival, Trevor?   

The Decidueye ponders for a moment.

Trevor:   I estimate we'll be there in about fifteen minutes.   

Spade:   Good. Once we're there let's head to the museum. That's a good place start looking for information on past pirates, so hopefully they'll have something on my ancestor.   

A voice behind him speaks up.

???:   Um...Spade?   

Spade turns around to the Machamp behind the ship's wheel.

Spade:   Yes Rulker?   

Rulker:   It's been a while since we've last been to Gangplank Cove, so mind if we go to the Leveling Field or the arena to seek out opponents?   

Spade:   Well I am kinda rusty with my moves since the last one to give me a good fight was that joke of a Feraligatr, and our last battle happened years ago. So yeah we're going there!   

Rulker says nothing but smiles, his smile looking rather creepy thanks to his metal jaw.

Blissparce, Pappa's

"Uh, I'll have some Pão de Queijo." Dieter adds.

"Okay." the Gothorita waiter says with a nod. "That it?" he asks, looking at the group.

Blissparce

Tiff shrugs.

Well...then we just have to find out then!

Then the waiter comes by to place everyone's orders.

I'll have what my sister's having, but Sitrus.

Old Warmth

Armin stops near dead in his tracks. He's been over the dividing wall for pretty much this whole time, and here he is, again trying to do the very thing Armin hates.

No doc, zis was not my fault.

[Ruins]

The Dusclops seems to believe them for the most part as he shuffles back a bit.

"... Indeed, a group of suspicious Pokemon passed through here, among them was a Noctowl", the Dusclops said, "He spoke of a duel of sorts to be held deeper in the ruins... But of course they saw fit to run us out of the deeper parts, forcing all of our numbers to migrate to these frontal outskirts. The Golurk that was once our guardian; He is nowhere to be seen."

The Dusclops sighed and continued, "Needless to say, we are in a terrible situation currently. All we can do is pray... Although given the Noctowl seems to have a grudge with you all, I can only assume that you perhaps can run him and his cohorts out? We would like to bask in the hidden depths of these ruins once more."

Noriaki nods and says, "We promise to try, at the very least."

Upon coming inside, Achilles and Minato manage to catch Arsene's suggestion.

"Well, that seem to be like a good idea", the Pinsir commented, "I'm sure we can find someone or something of us now that 'ol Narcian is in charge again."

"I'll stay here for now, hold the fort for a while", said Minato.

Ruins

(The more I hear of Montresor and his lackeys' misdeeds, the more I dislike them. How could they displace these innocent Ghost-type Pokémon? What have they done with their Golurk leader? And yet, they are still not even the greatest and most fearsome threat to us right now...) That's awful...removing you all from your homes just to make us fight them...

Yas are tellin' me, Bookworm! (Marsha says to me. She turns back to the Dusclops.) Hey, now dat we know where ta find dem, we can show 'em who's boss and kick dair butts outta your territory, eh? (She says confidently.)

Blissparce

All right, I guess that's it. (I say to the waiter.)

Hoard was hot garbage, lookin' back. (Cortez says to Taylor A.) That Chairgon was already a first-class jerk before the Viral Aggression took him out and never listened to what I had to say back when I was on the council there, and the police force there was run by this annoyin' Bisharp. Maran and I had already left to go toward Danjor Island before he and whoever that second nut with 'im was 'bout destroyed the place, so we don't really know what happened. Goobert, that Goodra over there where the real Rich is, was there though, and from what I've heard from him, I find the notion that supposedly nobody else died but Merq and the other...vector, I think they're called...anyway, I find that notion total Tauroscrap. How could nobody NOT have ended up dead durin' that whole thing? But anyway, I'm glad me and Maran bailed outta there when we did. Sometimes I wonder what it's like there now, but I don't see the point of actually doin' that since I'm never goin' back there again.

Edited by kablammin45 on Sep 25th 2018 at 11:39:14 AM

The Catacombs

I feel a bit better knowing that these dudes aren't here to hurt us, but even more rooted bad feelings toward Montresor and crew.

Yeah, we will drive them out of here and take 'em down!

Holstown Inn, Outside

Mila is eager to heed Minato's suggestion to stay quiet at first, but something different is building inside of her that changes her decision. It's something she'd been distant from for much of her time in this world, but as she begins to speak she recalls its name.

"Look, Woodruff... you know I never wanted this, right? That if I had a chance none of this would be happening, and I wouldn't have to be afraid of blowing everything to pieces. But Autumn has no idea and now I can't find her to even explain anything! What does she think of me to have left me like this? It's— it's not like her. It can't be like her."

"... Did love make me blind?"

Anger. Not anger underpinned by grief or worry, just simple anger at another living creature.

Ruins

"I can fix that, you know Eliot, I— "

On hearing the Dusclops speak, Autumn breaks off and moves up right towards them, intent on gleaning more information about the "guardian" they mentioned. She can feel a knot in her stomach at the prospect of another innocent mon having been killed because of all this horrid showboating, but she swallows it down as best she can as she speaks.

"The... guardian you mentioned, where would they be? What do you think might have happened? Surely we can at least save them, right?"

Old Eluant Ruins

"Oh, shit..." [I move up with Autumn, I can see she's freaking out. I put my hands up and say to her,] "Hey, it's okay, we can find him. His beef's with us anyhow, I'm sure the guy's safe..."

[I look to the Dusclops.] "We'll find your guardian, we'll get him back for ya. And, well...we were gonna kick Monty's ass anyway, that, that, that's the...guy we were...yea." [...wait, a group of suspicious Pokemon? Ah, shit...who else did he bring with?] "Hey...i, is there a chance y'happened t'see who else he was with?"

Holstown, Outside the Inn

"...I don't know." He doesn't know what to do. Was that even good to say? It was the only thing he could say.

"...do you think you need some time apart?" Because time is certainly the great healer. What is he thinking...

Blissparce, The Restaurant

Taylor A kinda checked out of Maran's dump about Hoard a few sentences in, waiting impatiently for the waiter to swing by. Before she has the chance to scurry off after getting everyone else's orders, she pulls one of the leafy frills from behind her and blows into it like a leaf whistle. "HEYY! HEEEEEYYYY!"

Old Warmth

Blik Hiney's Spinda waitress comes back with some towels and a new thing of maple syrup and starts cleaning up the spilled maple syrup. Meanwhile, Von Gold snorts at Armin and gestures at his Spiritomb assistant.

Von Gold: Whatever. Now I've got a new, much better assistant than you. Meet Malica!

Malica turns to face Armin.

Malica: Hi.

Holstown Inn

Jack doesn't have a problem with the plan, though he feels like he may need some help.

Jack: Hey, Grigori!

Gangplank Cove - Docks

Gangplank Cove was impressive up close, the massive hill it's on is easily several stories tall. The buildings were mostly made of recycled ship parts, set in a rugged way that somehow looks nice. The sprawling docks extended like fingers over the water. In the middle of the hill a wide set of stairs extended from the docks all the way to the top of the hill where the heart of the city is. Posted along the docks were guards to protect the ships.

A dark magenta ship anchored itself at the docks. Rakel the Pirate Queen walked off the ship onto the docks, the Weavile letting out a contented sigh.

Rakel:   Ah, it's been too long since I was last here!   

Her crew joins her, of which there were three other members. As they headed to the stairs leading to the main city, a Scrafty and a Shiftry looked on, hidden in the shadows behind a pile of crates.

Scrafty:   Isn't that the Pirate Queen we've heard so much about? Let's mug her when she's let her guard down and take her money!   

Shiftry:   Are you nuts!? The Lord of Darkness will have our heads if we try doing that! He told us to keep a low profile as we're supposed to do surveillance!   

The two continue to watch her as she makes her way up the stairs to the main city, carefully trailing her when the coast is clear.

The Waiter nods.

"It'll be out shortly."

And then heads over to Taylor A's table.

"Hello there and welcome to Pappa's. What can I get for you today?"

Holstown Inn

In the face of keeping privy with Arsene and with Roisin and pals and crew Kevin looks out the door at everyone else.

She's your girlfriend, right? She didn't know where you went and followed the others.

Old warmth

Armin grunts.

Hello..I'm sure the Doc treats you well.