The trail wound its way through the emerald fields, finally reaching over a small hilltop. Standing atop this hill, Speedy was ecstatic to see a large collection of buildings sprawled out over a large area. “There it is, boys! Agate Township!” he shouted, nudging George and Blitzer in the direction of the town with his arm.

Agate Township was encircled by a moat. Three bridges were the lone arteries connecting the town with the outside world: One dead ahead, the other opposite, and the last on the far left. Standing under twin banners bearing the Vined Crest were a handful of Soldiers keeping watch over the Pokemon entering and leaving; their voices a drop of rain in the storm of liveliness audible even from a distance. There were Water types swimming in the moat, birds taking off from a central roosting tower bearing bags, and busy streets. Tthis was a town of many thousands, at the very least.

“Wow…” Blitzer whispered.

George shrugged. “I’ve seen bigger.”

“Look George, there’s the post office! Look at all those bird Pokemon with the purses! And there- that’s smoke! Furnaces, fellow fire types!” Blitzer ecstatically pointed to the various vistas around the town. For George, most of it seemed old fashioned, or downright primitive if the rickety wooden bridges were anything to go by. Crude structures, filthy streets, it made him think of how his hometown looked five hundred years earlier. Not much different, most likely.

‘ For a place called Agate, it sure doesn’t look very green. ’

“Yes yes, here it is,” Speedy continued. “Now, I will warn you, do not go into this place expecting Greenfield, alright? Big towns mean different folks. They don’t care much for folks disturbing the peace. So don’t go runnin’ off. And I’m serious. You’ll get into some trouble, I can’t help you out that much, alright? We’re goin’ in, we’ll find out where our thieves are, we take back what’s mine, and that’s it. Alright?”

George and Blitzer were silent for a while, as they took in the sight one more time. Even from this hill, Speedy’s words held merit. The Pokemon strolling through the streets was as joyless as ice, their heads hanging low and their strides practically scraping the ground. Aside from the occasional yell of a child, the voices over the town were emotionless. And then there was the thick smell of mud hanging over the area, like smog over a metropolis. George remembered it well.

“Yes, it’s clear.”

Blitzer kept watching over the town, his cheek muscles tensed up and making a soft chirping sound with his throat. “Is it really that bad?”

Speedy patted him on the back with his tail. “Believe me, it won’t be. Just stay close to me and we’ll be fine, alright?”

“Okay.”

The three eased their way down the hill and approached the guard. After a hasty control of the rough cloth bag Speedy had taken with him, and George and Blitzer’s scarves, they were let into the town. Like small fish in a dirty pond, they followed Speedy through the masses, feeling discomforted by the sights of Agate Township up close. The Pokemon here all had lifeless eyes. Whether they were grass types like Roselia, water types like Poliwhirl, bug types like a lone Leavanny, no one was happy to be here. Given the state of the streets, that wasn’t an odd way to feel. Cracked stones, covered with a layer of mud that no besides one Palpitoad was cleaning up. At times slippery, always plain filthy, that was every street here, aside from the spaces in between buildings which weren’t any better. Either they were pure mud, covered with clutter, or grassy and wet. A funky smell hung in the air: Mud mixed with something resembling body odours, if George had to guess. He’d rather keep his nose pinched.

It wasn’t until they reached a small marketplace somewhere in the center that Speedy turned to them and stopped. “Alright, I need to go have a little conversation here. You two stay good and don’t run off, you hear? Just stay put and I’ll be back in no time,” the Raichu said, then ran off into the crowd without so much as a glance back. He looked like he was in a hurry.

“Well, there he goes,” George said. “Wasn’t the whole point of bringing us here being that we could help him?”

Blitzer’s tongue dipped out of his mouth for a second. “I don’t know,” he said, keeping his tail close as he looked around all over the place. “This town sure has changed since I’ve last been here.”

George folded his arms and drew closer towards the Charmander, as a brutish Pangoro lumbered past carrying a stone slab of some kind. “What do you mean?”

“It was a lot brighter here a few years ago, believe it or not. Vibrant, and energetic. Now everything’s looking worn and dilapidated. Including the people, at that.”

George kept an eye trained on the market. Sun poked through a crop of clouds, highlighting a few stands watched over by miserable Pokemon. Like the Scyther selling wood blocks who was using a sharp arm like a toothpick, the Miltank selling cheese while slumped over the stand, a Tsareena kicking at the air over her small assortment of colored rocks, and a Kangaskhan sat at the center of it all, running a claw through the apron she wore with a grim frown, her child looking up worried and fearful from its pouch.

“You could say that.”

“What even happened here, I wonder. Everyone’s given up. Look, the stone there’s all chipped. No one’s refined it.” Blitzer tapped a claw on the side of the building right next to them. A passing Pokemon suddenly leaned a few inches away from his face.

“Cause there’s no money for it, kid.”

Blitzer stumbled back, almost tripping over a bucket left lying around; a passing Diggersby was walking away laughing. George went blue, then red in the face. ‘ What a jerk! Who does that? ’ he thought to himself, before one more look over the area got him to calm down. Just one more tired looking Pokemon trying to find a little joy in this town, what little of it there was left to be found.

“Are you okay?” George asked Blitzer.

“Yeah… I’m fine. Just bumped my foot a bit, that’s all.” Blitzer replied. George found something else to be concerned over, however. It wasn’t just that the stones had been damaged by rain, the whole building looked slipshod. Stone intersected with bits of wood and earth that clearly was a half baked measure to prevent the cold from getting in. Besides that, the building turned from mostly stone to all wood halfway to the top. Written in a maroon paint were the words “Illusion Cafe - Rolf’s Bar” on a sign at the left edge of the building, where a shady looking Breloom wearing a coat and a slight grin was entering the building.

“Uh, why did Speedy leave us here?” George asked, looking up at the building; some kind of movement could be heard coming from above.

“Don’t think there’s any place better. Would you rather stand there?” Blitzer asked, gesturing with one claw at a Soldier at the other end of the marketplace with a half churr, half growl like sound. George anxiously hummed back, staring at the spear wielding Medicham in the distance. In a way it was amusing how dreadful the color green was in town. There was always a soldier marking, banner or shady looking Pokemon attached to it.

“I’d rather not,” George whispered. ‘ He’s starting to sound a lot more like an animal these last two days… ’

“Where’s Speedy, though… this is taking too long,” Blitzer swayed his tail around.

“He said he’d be back soon,” George said.

“If this is what he meant with ‘soon’, I’d hate to see him slow,” Blitzer churred back.

George clicked his tongue and drummed his hands on his belly. “Is he always like this?”

Blitzer shrugged. “Pretty much. It’s not the first time. But it sure is the worst time.”

“Uh-huh,” George hummed back. He found himself looking up at the cafe again. There was a strange noise coming from the same direction that the earlier sounds of movement were audible from. “Do you hear that?”

“Yeah, I do,” Blitzer said, approaching George. “What is that noise?”

Nothing could be seen, but it was unmistakably coming from upstairs. It was some sort of ragged gasping. Blitzer suddenly tapped George on the shoulder. “Wait, I think I heard this back home one-”

“Oh sweet Arceus, there you are!” Their attention was dragged away from the window as Speedy came running around the corner. “Come lads, let’s go!” he hurriedly said, nudging both George and Blitzer forward with his paws.

“H-hey!” Blitzer chirped. “What’s with the rush?”

“Nothing!” Speedy said nervously. George felt queasy inside. ‘Well, I guess that’s that.’

Once they were a block removed from the cafe, Speedy finally let go of their backs. One look at his feet was enough to keep George cranky for a while. A brown-grey paste now covered his feet; the bits that had gotten in his fur gave it a slimy feel. Blitzer didn’t fare any better. Orange scales and mud went together like toothpaste and bread, in the sense that they don’t go together at all. The amount of scrubbing it would take to get the spatters that got in between the creases out made George bite his lip. Or perhaps the uneven stones they were walking on were the cause of that.

“Where are we going?” Blitzer asked.

“You’ll see,” Speedy said, soft toned. The streets of Agate Township were not the place to discuss the kind of activity they were steeling their nerves for. If their odd mannerisms hadn’t given them away yet to half the town, which they likely had, George couldn’t help but feel like they were being watched. His ears went down against his head as Speedy took his hand to keep him on the move. There was an odd omen in the air.

“Right then, it’s just around the corner,” Speedy whispered, now holding both of them back as they were about to make the turn into the area he had been talking about. “We need to be careful here. They’re not expecting me in particular, but they are expecting trouble regardless.”

“What are we up against?” Blitzer said, the flame on his tail acting up. The tension in the air had grown; George could feel it. A few steps forward and they were facing their enemy. Like a dashing knight up against scoundrels. His tail slapped against the ground in anticipation.

“About three or so.”

“How do you know that?”

“Talked to a contact who knows this town like none other, don’t worry about it.”

George and Blitzer looked each other in the eye; doubt was visible on both sides. George had one hand over his scalchop, while Blitzer held one claw up. “So what’s the plan?” George asked.

Speedy hummed. “Simple. We’re going in there, and we’ll confront them. If they’re not going to play coy, we’ll attack.”

George’s feet shifted backwards into the edge of a muddy patch. ”W-we’re just attacking like that? What if they-”

“Fighting’s the language all Pokemon understand, George. You know that, right?”

George gulped, along with a nod. “Yeah, but-”

“Exactly. A good softening up will teach these idiots a lesson they won’t soon forget. Or ever forget, for that matter. And besides, it’s not like these Pokemon don’t deserve what’s comin’ their way…” Speedy grumbled. George didn’t say anything back. The Raichu sounded far too determined for anyone to try and change his mind now.

“Anything else we need to worry about?” Blitzer asked.

Speedy shook his head. “Keep your heads cool. That’s it. Are you two lads ready?”

Blitzer pumped his fists. “Yes!”

George tapped on his scalchop. “I guess so.” ‘ So much for the less hostile approach. I know this town’s like home, and fighting is as plain as, well, plains, but- nevermind. Fighting is just the way it goes.’

Speedy shot a smirk back. “Then let’s do it.”

* * *

It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop as the three made their way around the corner. Halfway across the dim alley they had now entered, they stopped. A lone candle hung by a rickety door that looked liked it would crumble if you tried to open it. Speedy gently pushed it. George steeled his nerves. Never in a million years growing up did he believe he’d ever get himself caught up in shady buildings without a ten foot pole. And there were plenty of shady buildings in his hometown, just like this one. Gloomy, abandoned, even haunted. Wishful thinking, perhaps. Back home, you always had to be ready for anything.

The door swung backwards into a dusty room with a low counter on the other end. A grey ball of fur lay half asleep on the counter, only emitting a dull groan as the light landed on its face. The Pokemon’s face looked like a mask that had been used for ten years straight. George and Blitzer couldn’t look away. There was something oddly alluring about that weary face. Something that made it impossible to pay attention to much of anything else.

“What’s your business?”

The shopkeeper’s voice sounded half like a hiss and half like a whisper. Aged, some might say, tired is what others would proclaim it to be. All George thought of was the weary voice of his grandmother, who he hadn’t seen in a long time.

“I’m here to buy,” Speedy said, entering the room. George and Blitzer cautiously followed behind, George carefully inching forward and Blitzer caressing his tail like a shield.

“And you need to bring your damn kids in here… why exactly?”

“Busy day, that’s all.”

“Blegh. I hate kids.” The shopkeeper propped their head off the counter, and dusted off their grey, oily coat that only a Cincinno could have. Speedy nodded back; George and Blitzer found themselves standing next to each other, unsure of what else to do besides standing back. Blitzer especially wasn’t at ease; the little interactions he had with the Cincinno lady that he’d occasionally see in Greenfield weren’t anything like this. “So then… what’s it you want?”

“Heard you got yourselves a nice shiny badge a few days ago. What’s it made of?”

“Copper, or somethin’. Some other stuff in there too. Think it’s got somethin’ to do with that A lliance bunch that got killed off some time ago. You got any particular need of that stuff?”

Speedy hummed a dull tone. “Oh yes. Running an errand for the ‘Quills. Need something from them, and they asked for somethin’ in return, of course. I chose this.”

The shopkeeper’s ears perked up. “I’m assuming you got the money for this?”

“Oh yes, I do,” Speedy retorted in a way that lived up to his name.

“Well, why not just give the Quills money, then?”

“Lack of materials, they say.”

“Lack of materials? The Quills? Pfft. Find that hard to believe. Whatever. Just show me the money, yeh? I’ll go get your little trinket and you then get those kids outta here.”

Speedy’s gaze soured. “Before I do that, why don’t you show me the badge? I’m not giving you a cent without it.”

The Cincinno hissed. “Who do you think you’re talkin’ to? You think you run this place here? Either show me the money, or I’ll show you and your dumbarsed kids the door,” they grumbled. Speedy clenched his fists.

“I’m not giving you a damn thing for my own property!”

The shopkeeper’s eyes lit up; before they had the chance to cry out, Speedy’s tail took on a silver shine and struck them across the face, knocking the Cincinno back into a shelf.

“Quick you two lads, follow me!” Speedy growled between his teeth.

“ARgh! Guys, we’ve got trouble!!”

Speedy leapt onto the counter, only to struggle to keep himself balanced; his tail was still charged up with energy. Blitzer jumped into the fray with him, kicking a vase and shattering it on the floor. By the time George realized what was happening and had made the decision to follow suit, a Toxicroak ran out of the backroom. The sound of an electric discharge racked the room, and the Toxicroak stumbled back.

“Hey, what d’you think you’re doing?”

“Takin’ back what’s mine!”

The Toxicroak was quick to his feet, his claws glowing purple as they stabbed at the air Speedy was in - It was as if the Raichu was jumping in three different directions. Blitzer spat a ball of fire, which broke into cinders upon contact with the purple claws. Another discharge; the Toxicroak stumbled backwards into the other room, only for a very dark and very angry Thievul to take its place.

George climbed onto the counter, knocking a foul smelling bottle over. Sparks and embers flew around his face as he struggled to keep decent footing. In the blink of an eye, Speedy had jumped away from attacks twice, the Thievul had jumped to try and keep up with Speedy, and Blitzer had already ran into the next room. George’s head spun. The lone Pokemon he was capable of keeping up with was the Cincinno, who was getting up. George pulled on his aquatic energies and spat a glob out at them. It didn’t leave a mark.

“Oi, you little…!”

The Cincinno grabbed a bottle and flung it at George’s head. Gasping, George threw himself off the counter; a bottle broke where he had stood right after. He turned his head and resumed spitting; a stream of water hit the Cincinno square on the leg. They made a dull cry with their throat and slipped off the counter. Upon getting up, an enraged glare emerged on the gray Pokemon’s tired face.

“I’ll toss you to the Sharpedos, you little!!”

George received a blow on the cheeks; it was like having a toy car thrown at his face. The thief and the little knight struggled, slapping their arms at each other. The Cincinno was out for blood; pulling out hair, trying to claw at George’s eye, tried kicking him from his feet.

“Haargh! Get back here you coward!”

Swipe after swipe, George struggled to keep up. It was too dangerous to try and reach for his water now. The Cincinno slowly pushed him back into a corner. There had to be something he could do. His scalchop. Without thinking, he drew it, and started swinging. The Cincinno jumped around him. Swing, miss, slash, miss. Every cut George made hit nothing but air. It took infinitely more out of him. Like butter, the Cincinno got George to make a wide swing; George staggered and lost control of his footing. The Cincinno’s little teeth stuck out their mouth. They raised their leg, jabbing their knee into George’s chest.

“Oof!”

“End of the line, flame boy!”

The breath shot out of his lungs along with a spatter of saliva. George fell back into the corner. The Cincinno bared its little teeth. George’s hand touched an odd surface - a small bottle. Without thinking, he flung it forward, where it shattered on the Cincinno’s head. The Cincinno screeched. With a hoarse yelp, it bolted for the door.

George went looking for his scalchop, gagging from the foul odour that now permeated throughout the building from all the broken bottles and whatever else all the fighting had tipped over. After finding his scalchop, George climbed back onto the wet counter, holding in his breath. All around, objects had been being thrown off shelves and onto walls and the ground with abandon. Speedy and Blitzer were in the backroom; George jumped off the other side of the counter and ran into the back room after them. It was a mess. He was staring right at a Victreebel screeching as it rubbed at a large burn on its body. Behind the Victreebel were the Thievul, the Toxicroak, and now a Luxio too. Behind them were Speedy and Blitzer, backs against a half empty shelf.

“Got a lot of guts coming here stealing from us.”

“You started it. Shouldn’t have taken what’s mine.”

“Ours now.”

“Got it back, didn’t I?” Speedy said; a glint shone from his hand in the sparse light present in the room.

“I’m sure your guts would fetch a pretty price. Works out in the end! Your kids too. Idiot.”

Speedy put his foot down, his cheeks furiously sparking. “HEY! Who in Arceus’ name says that about kids!”

“I did,” the Luxio replied. “Should’ve thought this through before you ran in here.”

George climbed onto the Victreebel, who violently winced upon feeling George’s feet press into its leafy skin, sending George tumbling down the other side. The three thieves still standing all turned their heads, bearing smirks that slid through George’s confidence like a hot knife through butter. Smirks only killers wore.

“Well well, number three. Who knew country folk were so stupid?” the Luxio chortled, sparking his claws while staring at George as a predator stares at prey.

“Pft. Should’ve gone there earlier,” the Toxicroak hissed after.

“After we’re done here, sure-”

A zap flew through the room - The Toxicroak stumbled back onto his knees. “Argh! Cheap little…!” he grumbled as he got back up. It was three against three. Three monsters against three village bumpkins. The sparks on the Luxio’s claws left George panicking as they approached.

All was ready to go straight into the Distortion, when an explosive sound burst through the front of the store. All six turned their heads, the children shielding their ears; the front had simply disappeared, and in its place stood a monstrous figure wielding two glowing scythes.

“S-Soldiers!”

The beast bearing the green cape barged into the front of the store. The three thugs fell into its scowl; with spit and snarls, she put her feet down.

“You’ve got one chance. Surrender, or else.”

The Luxio growled, and leapt past George and its fallen comrade onto the counter. The other two left Speedy and Blitzer behind to join the electric cat in meeting their new challenger. The old prey wasn’t going anywhere, after all. George crawled away from the Victreebel towards the other two, who stood like statues against the back wall of the store room.

“We’re not going anywhere, slick.”

“You’ve got three seconds. Three.”

“Surrender? After you broke our humble little store?”

“Two.”

“You think you run this town now?”

“One.”

“No surrendering!”

With a bang, the clashes in the front resumed. George reached the wall in between a hyperventilating Speedy and a nervously churring Blitzer, both of whom were holding their tails against their bodies.

“Lads, stay calm… I think I know how to get out of here,” Speedy said. A scream came from the front of the store. “Stuff this in your scarf.”

Speedy pressed the badge into George’s hand. “Uh, wha-”

“Don’t even think, just do it!”

“O-okay…” George whimpered as he did as was asked. A roar filled with demonic rage wracked the building, sending George, Blitzer and Speedy shivering down onto their rears.

“How are we going to get out of here?!” Blitzer yelled.

“Just stay calm! I’ll explain to them why we’re here, alright?” Speedy yelled back. A shelf crashed in the front. “We’re getting out of here, trust me.”

The three were left huddling together for comfort as the violence raged out front. Roars, yells, screeching and whimpering, wood cracking and glass shattering, separated from them by little more than a weak wooden frame and an unconscious Victreebel, whose occasional bouts of resistance were put down by its aching burns. George felt Blitzer grab onto his arm; the Charmander was fiercely staring past the plantlike into the portal, gritting his teeth as if waiting for his turn to jump into the fray. George backed off into Speedy’s fur, as the sounds of the storefront beng torn apart drew to a close.

“Argh- Stop… no!”

With a crash and a thunder, the counter’s top was ripped apart into a splinter. Shivers crawling up their spines, the three watched as it walked in. Her steps, which made the ground weep in agony. Her talons, which had run red and left a trail over the floor. Her chest, moving back and forth with each ragged breath that ran through her body. Her eyes piercing through the air with a glare to rival even the mythicals in their worst nightmares. She kicked the Victreebel away, who screamed as it rolled against a wall, purple fluids leaking out of its body.

“What do we have here?”

“M-m-madam! W-we, uh, this isn’t what it seems, okay? We were j-just looking to-” Speedy said, choking on just about every word he could get out of his mouth that wasn’t partially a chirp or peep. George could feel his and his own skin shiver up under the fur.

“Here to retrieve stolen goods. Correct?”

“Y-yes…”

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Y-yes.”

“Good. Then leave. You are interfering with official Vined Crest business.”

“S-sorry?”

The Garchomp suddenly raised one foot, then stomped it straight through the flimsy floorboards. “You heard me. Get out of here. Immediately.”

Speedy grabbed George by a tuft of his fur. “L-let’s go, you two,” he said, gulping as he dragged George along past the Garchomp and through the gap in the counter, Blitzer fast on his feet behind them audibly chattering his teeth. As Speedy dragged him along, George couldn’t keep his eyes open. It felt as if ten giant eyes were bearing down upon him, each with the focus of a laser.