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Description
[This task had the help of a few different teams and/or members, contributed by , , and ! Thanks guys!]

With the river flowing again, it wouldn't be long before Sharon would hold the ceremony for new followers of the Rain. But, before William could wear their colors, there was one last task to do; the church couldn't risk muddying their paws by hiring affiliated members. There was just enough time before the initiation to strike in Alomomola.

Spending a day rooting for information about the money collectors' habits, and recruiting a few fellow Rogues to help, Will and Oregano set up a meeting their targets wouldn't expect. After the ceremonies had let out, the thugs came right on time to divide out a percentage of the day's collections. What they got instead was a line of guild members that had no intentions of yielding.

Oregano had just as much incentive to avoid battle as William did. A pair of evolved Pokémon could cause some serious damage, even when outnumbered three to one. But, the diplomatic approach gave them an edge.

The Rogues explained their situation simply: "There had been rumors about that the church had been scraping profits from the donation box, to be put in the pockets of the clergy. The guild doesn't like the abuse of less-fortunate Pokémon, who happen to make up a fairly large number of this church's followers. Thankfully, this place checked out clean..."

A brief pause left a tension in the air. But, before the thugs could respond, the guild members continued, "Tender freely given without an exchange of goods isn't rightfully taxable. It's charity, and inappropriate taxation is something desperate Pokémon and rich ones alike don't handle cleanly. When folks want blood, first they seek the faces that match the name. A lot of the time, the most recognizable faces of the state are the tax collectors.

"We'll tell you once: You don't wanna be those faces."

With that, a few of the church workers who'd been waiting in the corners walked out slowly, muttering to one-another. William and Oregano had managed to tip the clergy off--it was all part of the plan. Henchmen and thugs are never payed much. The bowtie was probably a rental. Take away their sense of righteousness, threaten them, and make them feel outnumbered, and they won't want to stay for dinner.

"Or, we could do this the hard way," William added. The normally quiet church suddenly hummed with growls and sneers. A few Fire-types hissed flames. An Oshawott named Celeste spit a quick squirt of water at the feet of the thugs. They hopped away, and the crowd laughed tauntingly.

The old saying went that even non-sentients knew when to give up. The thugs cut their losses quickly, and left through the door they came in. Sure, most of it was a bluff, but each one of the Rogues had been ready to fight if the need had arisen.

William and Oregano thanked their hosts and their guild mates for their help, and began the trip back home.

Description
[This task had the help of a few different teams and/or members, contributed by , , and ! Thanks guys!]

With the river flowing again, it wouldn't be long before Sharon would hold the ceremony for new followers of the Rain. But, before William could wear their colors, there was one last task to do; the church couldn't risk muddying their paws by hiring affiliated members. There was just enough time before the initiation to strike in Alomomola.

Spending a day rooting for information about the money collectors' habits, and recruiting a few fellow Rogues to help, Will and Oregano set up a meeting their targets wouldn't expect. After the ceremonies had let out, the thugs came right on time to divide out a percentage of the day's collections. What they got instead was a line of guild members that had no intentions of yielding.

Oregano had just as much incentive to avoid battle as William did. A pair of evolved Pokémon could cause some serious damage, even when outnumbered three to one. But, the diplomatic approach gave them an edge.

The Rogues explained their situation simply: "There had been rumors about that the church had been scraping profits from the donation box, to be put in the pockets of the clergy. The guild doesn't like the abuse of less-fortunate Pokémon, who happen to make up a fairly large number of this church's followers. Thankfully, this place checked out clean..."

A brief pause left a tension in the air. But, before the thugs could respond, the guild members continued, "Tender freely given without an exchange of goods isn't rightfully taxable. It's charity, and inappropriate taxation is something desperate Pokémon and rich ones alike don't handle cleanly. When folks want blood, first they seek the faces that match the name. A lot of the time, the most recognizable faces of the state are the tax collectors.

"We'll tell you once: You don't wanna be those faces."

With that, a few of the church workers who'd been waiting in the corners walked out slowly, muttering to one-another. William and Oregano had managed to tip the clergy off--it was all part of the plan. Henchmen and thugs are never payed much. The bowtie was probably a rental. Take away their sense of righteousness, threaten them, and make them feel outnumbered, and they won't want to stay for dinner.

"Or, we could do this the hard way," William added. The normally quiet church suddenly hummed with growls and sneers. A few Fire-types hissed flames. An Oshawott named Celeste spit a quick squirt of water at the feet of the thugs. They hopped away, and the crowd laughed tauntingly.

The old saying went that even non-sentients knew when to give up. The thugs cut their losses quickly, and left through the door they came in. Sure, most of it was a bluff, but each one of the Rogues had been ready to fight if the need had arisen.

William and Oregano thanked their hosts and their guild mates for their help, and began the trip back home.