HOME | DD

Description
Rogues Mission 4, Side Mission 2
Warmest Welcomes

     It was dusk, and two Pokémon slipped into Creeping Forest. The gold bandanas that the two Rogues wore made them stand out, but they weren't too bothered by it. It didn't really matter to them if they found the Pokémon they were looking for or if they were found first. Once they were a few feet inside, the Purrloin and Sewaddle climbed into a tree. The two then moved through the trees; the cat jumped from branch to branch while the bug used String Shot to swing across trees.

     "So, where do you think Sneasel are?" asked Sly as he landed onto a nearby branch, sending snow onto the ground.

     "Probably deeper in," mused Leilani. "I believe the most logical place for them to gather under Slasher would have been halfway between Sapling and Tao Village, probably far from Merlot's castle though. An area with the most trees too, that would impede Tao Pokémon from chasing them."

     "Lead on," Sly said swinging his tail forward as he stayed on a new branch and waited for his partner to move ahead.

       The trees gradually became closer together and more massive as they moved northeast. They blocked out the darkening sky, and eventually only Sly was able to see, forcing Leilani to continue the journey on his back, slowing their progress. The Purrloin had to calculate each jump to make sure the two Pokémon didn't fall onto the forest and lose the advantage of higher ground, a process that he found tedious.

      "It's always a lot less fu-" the Purrloin cut off his complaint as he looked down from the branch he had landed on.

       "Mister Sly, we're in the middle of a miss-" Leilani scolded before her partner shoved his curved tail over her mouth and pointed with his paw. She followed the direction of his paw and made out a dark shape wandering around in the snow. "Plan A?" she whispered. The Purrloin nodded, and with that the Sewaddle used String Shot to attach herself to a branch and lower herself down to the snow.

       "Good evening," she called as she reached what was about eye level with the Sneasel. "Were you a member of the Slasher gang?"

      "Yeah, what are ya gonna do about it?" the Sneasel asked.

      "I just wanted to inform you that since your leader was a Rogue and is now dead, you and all other gang members owe your loyalty to Gunpowder of the Tao Village Rogue Guild."

      "That don't make much sense."

      "I believe you mean doesn't. And regardless of how much sense it makes to you, it is in your best interest to join the Rogues."

     "Fight me."

     "Why?"

     "Fight me and prove that I need your guild. If you lose, my sister is trying to start a gang in Slasher's place, I'm sure she can find a use for you."

     "So we're betting loyalty. By fight do you mean the two of us fight each other or you fight the team I'm on."

     The Sneasel extended her claws. "More the happier."

     "If you insist miss," Leilani replied as Sly leaped down and clapped both paws together in her face to activate Fake Out; instead of flinching, the Sneasel responded by beating the Purrloin aside with Slash. While the Sneasel was distracted by the attack, the Sewaddle took the opportunity to use Bug Bite on her arm. "I believe you meant 'the more the merrier' earlier," Leilani added when she removed her mouth from the younger Pokemon's arm.

      "I mean what I meant," the Sneasel replied quickly sending a claw forward the Sewaddle at point blank range. Leilani winced as she was removed with a violent Aerial Ace, then used String Shot to tie back one of the Sneasel's arms. The Ice type turned around distracted, unable to complete her attack on Sly, who had been working on Hone Claws. The Sneasel launched an Ice Beam that Leilani narrowly dodged before tying the other arm with String Shot.

      "We wiiiiiiiiin," purred Sly as he jumped on the Sneasel's back and pointed his claws at her neck.

      "I aint knocked out yet," she protested.

      "You're tied up and have a claw pointed at your face. You'll be worse than knocked out if we were the type of Pokémon that murdered children. We need you conscious for the other part of the mission," Leilani replied tying the other Pokémon's legs as a precaution. "And don't use 'aint'."

     "Yeah, but I still got my feet." She swung up and with one leg knocked Sly off of her and with the other used the claws to slash one of the String Shots.

      "I like you. You have a lot of energyyyyyy," Sly replied, rolling to his feet and sharpening his claws some more.

      "I don't really like you or your bug friend." The Sneasel snarled and used Ice Beam, this time to coat the surrounding trees and grass. She then cut the rope.

      "It's like an ice rink," Sly replied sliding around the ice after he moved.

      "If that involves claws, than yeah, it is." The Sneasel jumped with ease and Slashed at Sly, tearing a gash in the side of his face before sliding towards Leilani. With ease she jumped into the trees, her claws hooking onto frozen branches. The Sewaddle shook her head and used String Shot to catch another branch, once she was swinging, she cut the rope with Razor Leaf and wrapped another String Shot around the Ice type, this time looping around the younger Pokemon's waist. She fired a second String Shot into the tree branches to keep them both aloft.

      "This again? You're lame fi-" the Sneasel was unable to finish her taunt as she found String Shot covering her mouth. The moment she moved to claw at the String Shots- one paw reaching for her mouth and the other towards the rope she was dangling from- more String wrapped around her claws. She still had her legs, she thought, until she was jerked around in the rope harness by Sly's weight on both her legs. She began kicking in vain but the Purrloin held on until his teammate bound her legs together.

      "Now did we wiiiiin?" Sly asked. The Sneasel paused and shook her head defeatedly. With that, Sly cut her loose and Leilani used String Shot to stitch up everyone's cuts.

      "Fine, you win, you're the boss," she grumbled, "So what don't ya want me knocked out for?"

     "Finding Slasher's treasure," Sly purred as he cut at the pieces of string.

    "That's it?"

    "Yep. That's what Gunpowder wants. He's a pirate, so he likes treaaaaaaasure."

    The Sneasel stared blankly at him.

    "That's normal for Sly," the Sewaddle said. "He's team leader, our team is Team Mischief. My name is Leilani."

     "Name's Ice," she replied.

     "There's supposed to be a lot of Sneasels here, so wear this so we can tell you apart," Sly said as he nudged Leilani and she pulled a lacy necklace out of her leaves and handed it over.

     "What is that?" she asked.

     "It's a necklace. We kind of borrowed it after our last mission. Everyone else on the team has worn it. So now it's your tuuuuuurn."

      Ice started to put it on before stopping and crying out, "Aggh, what in the name of ugh, where did you find this thing, it smells like somethin' died in a pile of rottin' berries. 'Sides, see this?" she asked pointing at her ear; the feather that was there on most Sneasels had been chopped in half. "Most of the other Sneasels don't have this, so you can tell me apart by that."

      "Think of it as initiaaaatioooooon," Sly replied forcing it onto her. "Besides, it smells like bridge…a bridge made of gargabe."

    Ice turned and tried to Slash him but was held back by another String Shot. "You are so stupid."

     "Why don't we get back to the task at hand? Do you know where any of his old stashes are?" asked Leilani.

      "Yeah, I know about one. My big sis and brother used to guard one of his stashes."

     "So you'll take us there?"

     "If he shuts up."

     "Fiiiiiiiiiiiiine," Sly added, before moving his tail over his lips and grinning.

     "Let's go," Ice groaned climbing into a tree.

***

     The three travelled through the tree branches again, until Ice stopped, holding up a claw and watched. A Mankey and a pair of Sneasels were carrying another Sneasel, followed by a Skitty. Leilani noted the bulging bag the Mankey had and the jewelry the Skitty held on her tail. They waited until a few minutes after the other group left the clearing before jumping down. There were several bushes clumped on one side that Ice moved to.

     "Weeell, where is the stash?" asked Sly.

     Ice extended her claws pointed them towards him, then tore a chunk of bush with her claws. "Right here idiot cat," she growled. Sly peaked over the torn chunk and noticed a whole they could easily fit through. Leilani was more interested in the leaves, just the right size, but a little dry, she thought, and began using String Shot in the method her parents showed her to bind the leaves together. "Whatcha doin'?" asked Ice breaking her concentration.

     "I'm making bags, so it'll be easier to carry things back. Keep Slashing, but try to keep the big leaves intact," the Sewaddle replied.

     "Kay," Ice replied as she and Sly hacked off the remaining branches, then took the two bags Leilani had made and went inside. They came back with loaded bags. "Now what?"

      "I'll make and pack more bags for you two, Mister Sly will show you where to go," Leilani said gathering leaves and moving inside. The other two left, while the Sewaddle went to work. She spent the rest of the night sewing bags and packing them for Ice and Sly to take back. Around morning she finished and decided to move the bags into the trees. She had safely gathered some bags into a tree and was about to climb down when she saw the Mankey, Skitty, and one of the Sneasels from the night before return. The group paused and looked at the torn up bushes before the Skitty had the Sneasel go in with her while the Mankey stayed outside.

     Not good, she thought as the other two went in. Ice and Sly will be at a disadvantage; I'd better clean this up, she thought. She climbed out onto a branch so she had a clear view then fired two string shots, one at the Mankey's mouth the other around his leg and pulled the second strand. The other Pokémon's eyes widened and he tried to scream as he was suddenly pulled into the air.

     "I'd like your team to remove yourselves from this part of the forest, please. Unless of course you're also a Rogue," she asked. The Mankey shook and tried to untie his leg, then used his tail to swing up and hit her with Ice Punch, sending the small bug staggering back. She fired another string shot and attached an arm to one of the other branches, forcing his next attack to miss, and giving her time to tie the other arm. Exhausted, Leilani fired too last String Shots to secure the leg and tail to the branch he was standing on, just in case.

     "Whatcha doing with the monkey?" asked Sly as he and Ice landed next to her.

     "A Merchant," she gasped, "the rest of his team is in there. They have a Sneasel and a Skitty."

     "Is something wrong LeeLeeeeee?"

    "Ice Punch. Very powerful, it didn't help that I haven't fully recovered from my fight with Miss Ice."

    "Kay, you stay here and we'll take care of his teammates," Ice replied hopping down from the tree.

     "Let me go first. Everything's easier with Fake Ooouut," Sly called after her. The two Dark types rushed in, and Leilani waited patiently. Ice seemed like a competent battler, and the darkness in the hole would give the Dark types an advantage over the Skitty, although the other Sneasel could be a problem.

      Leilani made a show of moving past the Mankey and leaving. She headed toward an Oran Berry tree she remembered seeing. She needed to recover, and if Ice and Sly were defeated it'd be better if the Mankey thought she was somewhere else. At the tree, she ate a few berries, then gathered some more and headed back, making sure to stay out of sight of the Mankey. Some of her bags were left outside, she noticed as she climbed down a tree and moved into the bushes. She pulled the bags inside of the bush with String Shot and waited.

     Much to her dismay, the Skitty and other Sneasel emerged the victors with the remaining bags of treasure. The team talked and the Mankey was cut free before the three of them left.

     So Ice has a brother in the Merchant's Guild now, and her sister might be to, Leilani thought. She'd have to keep an eye on the young Sneasel. She knew from their last mission that the Rogues had developed a competition with the Merchants, and this could only lead to an unnecessary conflict of interest. A few minutes after she couldn't hear the other team she left her hiding place and moved down into the hole. Sly was unconscious, and Ice was twitching, trying to get up.

     "What happened?" Leilani asked giving the Oran Berries to Ice. "Do you think you two will be ok?"

     "Their stupid cat paralyzed me, and our stupid cat fainted," growled Ice as she ate the berries. After a while she perked up. "I'm definitely stayin' with you guys. Slasher never let me fight, just gave me stupid guard duty. Somethin' about my violence bein' too uncontrollable for theft or any moment he had to talk with some Pokémon. 'Course, I didn't join 'til shortly after he got killed."

      "I see," Leilani replied. "Let's get you two to the Medical Tent."

     "Fine." Ice picked up Sly and pulled him over her shoulders, while Leilani did the best she could to support his legs, and together they slowly made it back to Tao Village, where Ice and Sly were examined in the Medical Tent. Leilani didn't miss Ice making eye contact with an injured Sneasel in the tent before she was told she was healthy enough to help finish the mission.

     "What's with the dumb cat and nicknames? He started callin' me 'Ice Cream' durin' the battle and he calls ya LeeLee even though it'd be easier to just call ya Lee. Ya don't mind if I do that?" Ice commented as they reentered the clearing.

     "Feel free to. You'll find that Sly has many quirks. You'll get used to most of them," Leilani replied, securing two of the bags she hid in the bush to the Sneasel's back. "By the way, was that your sister in the tent and your brother with the Merchants?"

     "What of it?" she demanded as she tied the third bag to the Sewaddle. "'sides, I didn't know Silver'd stick with the Merchants."

      "From what I've heard Rogues and Merchants usually got along, but since Gunpowder recently had us collect books on the dragon the Merchants brought, that may change. I want to know if your loyalties are closer to your new guild or your family."

     "I didn't ditch the dumb cat back there, and if ya ask him, I did most of the fightin' against my brother," she snapped climbing up a tree. "'Sides, the stupid Merchant cat offered me a place on her team, and I said no."

      "You didn't answer my question."

      "Fine. I aint workin' with any Merchants, even if my brother is one!"

     "Thank you, although feel free to stay in contact with your brother and sister. Would you like to tell Sly about this when we get back, or should I?"

     "I will."

     The remainder of their return trip was spent in silence. After they left their bags with Gunpowder, the two picked up Sly from the Medical Tent and left for the last bit of treasure. After they reached Leilani's tree stash, Ice finally spoke up.

     "So, my brother was with the Merchants that attacked us," she commented uncomfortably. "I already told Lee my loyalties are to you guys now."

     "Okkkkkkkkk," Sly replied.

    "Ok? Lee drilled me about it, and Slasher woulda too."

    "I trust you, you didn't let me down in the cave, Ice Cream," he replied after Leilani tied the bags to him. He smiled and jumped to another branch.

    "I hate you," she growled leaping after him.

    "I'll take you to the Spinda Café, Ice Cream. You won't hate me then. That place is really fuuuuuuuun."

     "Stop callin' me 'Ice Cream' and we'll talk about it."

     "But it's such a fun nicknaaaaame."

     Leilani sighed as she followed the bickering Pokémon. She hoped Gunpowder or Devonshire didn't act against the merchants until Team Mischief had completely adjusted.

Description
Rogues Mission 4, Side Mission 2
Warmest Welcomes

     It was dusk, and two Pokémon slipped into Creeping Forest. The gold bandanas that the two Rogues wore made them stand out, but they weren't too bothered by it. It didn't really matter to them if they found the Pokémon they were looking for or if they were found first. Once they were a few feet inside, the Purrloin and Sewaddle climbed into a tree. The two then moved through the trees; the cat jumped from branch to branch while the bug used String Shot to swing across trees.

     "So, where do you think Sneasel are?" asked Sly as he landed onto a nearby branch, sending snow onto the ground.

     "Probably deeper in," mused Leilani. "I believe the most logical place for them to gather under Slasher would have been halfway between Sapling and Tao Village, probably far from Merlot's castle though. An area with the most trees too, that would impede Tao Pokémon from chasing them."

     "Lead on," Sly said swinging his tail forward as he stayed on a new branch and waited for his partner to move ahead.

       The trees gradually became closer together and more massive as they moved northeast. They blocked out the darkening sky, and eventually only Sly was able to see, forcing Leilani to continue the journey on his back, slowing their progress. The Purrloin had to calculate each jump to make sure the two Pokémon didn't fall onto the forest and lose the advantage of higher ground, a process that he found tedious.

      "It's always a lot less fu-" the Purrloin cut off his complaint as he looked down from the branch he had landed on.

       "Mister Sly, we're in the middle of a miss-" Leilani scolded before her partner shoved his curved tail over her mouth and pointed with his paw. She followed the direction of his paw and made out a dark shape wandering around in the snow. "Plan A?" she whispered. The Purrloin nodded, and with that the Sewaddle used String Shot to attach herself to a branch and lower herself down to the snow.

       "Good evening," she called as she reached what was about eye level with the Sneasel. "Were you a member of the Slasher gang?"

      "Yeah, what are ya gonna do about it?" the Sneasel asked.

      "I just wanted to inform you that since your leader was a Rogue and is now dead, you and all other gang members owe your loyalty to Gunpowder of the Tao Village Rogue Guild."

      "That don't make much sense."

      "I believe you mean doesn't. And regardless of how much sense it makes to you, it is in your best interest to join the Rogues."

     "Fight me."

     "Why?"

     "Fight me and prove that I need your guild. If you lose, my sister is trying to start a gang in Slasher's place, I'm sure she can find a use for you."

     "So we're betting loyalty. By fight do you mean the two of us fight each other or you fight the team I'm on."

     The Sneasel extended her claws. "More the happier."

     "If you insist miss," Leilani replied as Sly leaped down and clapped both paws together in her face to activate Fake Out; instead of flinching, the Sneasel responded by beating the Purrloin aside with Slash. While the Sneasel was distracted by the attack, the Sewaddle took the opportunity to use Bug Bite on her arm. "I believe you meant 'the more the merrier' earlier," Leilani added when she removed her mouth from the younger Pokemon's arm.

      "I mean what I meant," the Sneasel replied quickly sending a claw forward the Sewaddle at point blank range. Leilani winced as she was removed with a violent Aerial Ace, then used String Shot to tie back one of the Sneasel's arms. The Ice type turned around distracted, unable to complete her attack on Sly, who had been working on Hone Claws. The Sneasel launched an Ice Beam that Leilani narrowly dodged before tying the other arm with String Shot.

      "We wiiiiiiiiin," purred Sly as he jumped on the Sneasel's back and pointed his claws at her neck.

      "I aint knocked out yet," she protested.

      "You're tied up and have a claw pointed at your face. You'll be worse than knocked out if we were the type of Pokémon that murdered children. We need you conscious for the other part of the mission," Leilani replied tying the other Pokémon's legs as a precaution. "And don't use 'aint'."

     "Yeah, but I still got my feet." She swung up and with one leg knocked Sly off of her and with the other used the claws to slash one of the String Shots.

      "I like you. You have a lot of energyyyyyy," Sly replied, rolling to his feet and sharpening his claws some more.

      "I don't really like you or your bug friend." The Sneasel snarled and used Ice Beam, this time to coat the surrounding trees and grass. She then cut the rope.

      "It's like an ice rink," Sly replied sliding around the ice after he moved.

      "If that involves claws, than yeah, it is." The Sneasel jumped with ease and Slashed at Sly, tearing a gash in the side of his face before sliding towards Leilani. With ease she jumped into the trees, her claws hooking onto frozen branches. The Sewaddle shook her head and used String Shot to catch another branch, once she was swinging, she cut the rope with Razor Leaf and wrapped another String Shot around the Ice type, this time looping around the younger Pokemon's waist. She fired a second String Shot into the tree branches to keep them both aloft.

      "This again? You're lame fi-" the Sneasel was unable to finish her taunt as she found String Shot covering her mouth. The moment she moved to claw at the String Shots- one paw reaching for her mouth and the other towards the rope she was dangling from- more String wrapped around her claws. She still had her legs, she thought, until she was jerked around in the rope harness by Sly's weight on both her legs. She began kicking in vain but the Purrloin held on until his teammate bound her legs together.

      "Now did we wiiiiin?" Sly asked. The Sneasel paused and shook her head defeatedly. With that, Sly cut her loose and Leilani used String Shot to stitch up everyone's cuts.

      "Fine, you win, you're the boss," she grumbled, "So what don't ya want me knocked out for?"

     "Finding Slasher's treasure," Sly purred as he cut at the pieces of string.

    "That's it?"

    "Yep. That's what Gunpowder wants. He's a pirate, so he likes treaaaaaaasure."

    The Sneasel stared blankly at him.

    "That's normal for Sly," the Sewaddle said. "He's team leader, our team is Team Mischief. My name is Leilani."

     "Name's Ice," she replied.

     "There's supposed to be a lot of Sneasels here, so wear this so we can tell you apart," Sly said as he nudged Leilani and she pulled a lacy necklace out of her leaves and handed it over.

     "What is that?" she asked.

     "It's a necklace. We kind of borrowed it after our last mission. Everyone else on the team has worn it. So now it's your tuuuuuurn."

      Ice started to put it on before stopping and crying out, "Aggh, what in the name of ugh, where did you find this thing, it smells like somethin' died in a pile of rottin' berries. 'Sides, see this?" she asked pointing at her ear; the feather that was there on most Sneasels had been chopped in half. "Most of the other Sneasels don't have this, so you can tell me apart by that."

      "Think of it as initiaaaatioooooon," Sly replied forcing it onto her. "Besides, it smells like bridge…a bridge made of gargabe."

    Ice turned and tried to Slash him but was held back by another String Shot. "You are so stupid."

     "Why don't we get back to the task at hand? Do you know where any of his old stashes are?" asked Leilani.

      "Yeah, I know about one. My big sis and brother used to guard one of his stashes."

     "So you'll take us there?"

     "If he shuts up."

     "Fiiiiiiiiiiiiine," Sly added, before moving his tail over his lips and grinning.

     "Let's go," Ice groaned climbing into a tree.

***

     The three travelled through the tree branches again, until Ice stopped, holding up a claw and watched. A Mankey and a pair of Sneasels were carrying another Sneasel, followed by a Skitty. Leilani noted the bulging bag the Mankey had and the jewelry the Skitty held on her tail. They waited until a few minutes after the other group left the clearing before jumping down. There were several bushes clumped on one side that Ice moved to.

     "Weeell, where is the stash?" asked Sly.

     Ice extended her claws pointed them towards him, then tore a chunk of bush with her claws. "Right here idiot cat," she growled. Sly peaked over the torn chunk and noticed a whole they could easily fit through. Leilani was more interested in the leaves, just the right size, but a little dry, she thought, and began using String Shot in the method her parents showed her to bind the leaves together. "Whatcha doin'?" asked Ice breaking her concentration.

     "I'm making bags, so it'll be easier to carry things back. Keep Slashing, but try to keep the big leaves intact," the Sewaddle replied.

     "Kay," Ice replied as she and Sly hacked off the remaining branches, then took the two bags Leilani had made and went inside. They came back with loaded bags. "Now what?"

      "I'll make and pack more bags for you two, Mister Sly will show you where to go," Leilani said gathering leaves and moving inside. The other two left, while the Sewaddle went to work. She spent the rest of the night sewing bags and packing them for Ice and Sly to take back. Around morning she finished and decided to move the bags into the trees. She had safely gathered some bags into a tree and was about to climb down when she saw the Mankey, Skitty, and one of the Sneasels from the night before return. The group paused and looked at the torn up bushes before the Skitty had the Sneasel go in with her while the Mankey stayed outside.

     Not good, she thought as the other two went in. Ice and Sly will be at a disadvantage; I'd better clean this up, she thought. She climbed out onto a branch so she had a clear view then fired two string shots, one at the Mankey's mouth the other around his leg and pulled the second strand. The other Pokémon's eyes widened and he tried to scream as he was suddenly pulled into the air.

     "I'd like your team to remove yourselves from this part of the forest, please. Unless of course you're also a Rogue," she asked. The Mankey shook and tried to untie his leg, then used his tail to swing up and hit her with Ice Punch, sending the small bug staggering back. She fired another string shot and attached an arm to one of the other branches, forcing his next attack to miss, and giving her time to tie the other arm. Exhausted, Leilani fired too last String Shots to secure the leg and tail to the branch he was standing on, just in case.

     "Whatcha doing with the monkey?" asked Sly as he and Ice landed next to her.

     "A Merchant," she gasped, "the rest of his team is in there. They have a Sneasel and a Skitty."

     "Is something wrong LeeLeeeeee?"

    "Ice Punch. Very powerful, it didn't help that I haven't fully recovered from my fight with Miss Ice."

    "Kay, you stay here and we'll take care of his teammates," Ice replied hopping down from the tree.

     "Let me go first. Everything's easier with Fake Ooouut," Sly called after her. The two Dark types rushed in, and Leilani waited patiently. Ice seemed like a competent battler, and the darkness in the hole would give the Dark types an advantage over the Skitty, although the other Sneasel could be a problem.

      Leilani made a show of moving past the Mankey and leaving. She headed toward an Oran Berry tree she remembered seeing. She needed to recover, and if Ice and Sly were defeated it'd be better if the Mankey thought she was somewhere else. At the tree, she ate a few berries, then gathered some more and headed back, making sure to stay out of sight of the Mankey. Some of her bags were left outside, she noticed as she climbed down a tree and moved into the bushes. She pulled the bags inside of the bush with String Shot and waited.

     Much to her dismay, the Skitty and other Sneasel emerged the victors with the remaining bags of treasure. The team talked and the Mankey was cut free before the three of them left.

     So Ice has a brother in the Merchant's Guild now, and her sister might be to, Leilani thought. She'd have to keep an eye on the young Sneasel. She knew from their last mission that the Rogues had developed a competition with the Merchants, and this could only lead to an unnecessary conflict of interest. A few minutes after she couldn't hear the other team she left her hiding place and moved down into the hole. Sly was unconscious, and Ice was twitching, trying to get up.

     "What happened?" Leilani asked giving the Oran Berries to Ice. "Do you think you two will be ok?"

     "Their stupid cat paralyzed me, and our stupid cat fainted," growled Ice as she ate the berries. After a while she perked up. "I'm definitely stayin' with you guys. Slasher never let me fight, just gave me stupid guard duty. Somethin' about my violence bein' too uncontrollable for theft or any moment he had to talk with some Pokémon. 'Course, I didn't join 'til shortly after he got killed."

      "I see," Leilani replied. "Let's get you two to the Medical Tent."

     "Fine." Ice picked up Sly and pulled him over her shoulders, while Leilani did the best she could to support his legs, and together they slowly made it back to Tao Village, where Ice and Sly were examined in the Medical Tent. Leilani didn't miss Ice making eye contact with an injured Sneasel in the tent before she was told she was healthy enough to help finish the mission.

     "What's with the dumb cat and nicknames? He started callin' me 'Ice Cream' durin' the battle and he calls ya LeeLee even though it'd be easier to just call ya Lee. Ya don't mind if I do that?" Ice commented as they reentered the clearing.

     "Feel free to. You'll find that Sly has many quirks. You'll get used to most of them," Leilani replied, securing two of the bags she hid in the bush to the Sneasel's back. "By the way, was that your sister in the tent and your brother with the Merchants?"

     "What of it?" she demanded as she tied the third bag to the Sewaddle. "'sides, I didn't know Silver'd stick with the Merchants."

      "From what I've heard Rogues and Merchants usually got along, but since Gunpowder recently had us collect books on the dragon the Merchants brought, that may change. I want to know if your loyalties are closer to your new guild or your family."

     "I didn't ditch the dumb cat back there, and if ya ask him, I did most of the fightin' against my brother," she snapped climbing up a tree. "'Sides, the stupid Merchant cat offered me a place on her team, and I said no."

      "You didn't answer my question."

      "Fine. I aint workin' with any Merchants, even if my brother is one!"

     "Thank you, although feel free to stay in contact with your brother and sister. Would you like to tell Sly about this when we get back, or should I?"

     "I will."

     The remainder of their return trip was spent in silence. After they left their bags with Gunpowder, the two picked up Sly from the Medical Tent and left for the last bit of treasure. After they reached Leilani's tree stash, Ice finally spoke up.

     "So, my brother was with the Merchants that attacked us," she commented uncomfortably. "I already told Lee my loyalties are to you guys now."

     "Okkkkkkkkk," Sly replied.

    "Ok? Lee drilled me about it, and Slasher woulda too."

    "I trust you, you didn't let me down in the cave, Ice Cream," he replied after Leilani tied the bags to him. He smiled and jumped to another branch.

    "I hate you," she growled leaping after him.

    "I'll take you to the Spinda Café, Ice Cream. You won't hate me then. That place is really fuuuuuuuun."

     "Stop callin' me 'Ice Cream' and we'll talk about it."

     "But it's such a fun nicknaaaaame."

     Leilani sighed as she followed the bickering Pokémon. She hoped Gunpowder or Devonshire didn't act against the merchants until Team Mischief had completely adjusted.