Filling In The Blanks [Open]

Thunk...Thunk...Thunk...

The sound repeated again and again within the small library as the tail of a mincinno scuffled to and fro through a disorganized pile of books. Frustration boiled in her veins as she waited for the normal type to return. The side of her head banged against a wooden beam lightly with each passing second. Finally, a joyful squeak could be heard. The normal type held up a book in their tiny arms before they returned to Kira. They hopped up onto the reception desk and presented the book to her with a look of pride and joy in their eyes.

The title read, The Ruined Cheese.

The lucario took in a long deep breath. The mincinno's look of sheer joy faltered as she spoke slowly and calmly, "No, I need a book on The Ruined Chateau. Chateau, not 'Cheese'." It was apparent in her tone that her patience begun to wear thin. She spent hours there trying to get the little critter to help her. The normal type simply insisted that they look for it and she just wait right there. Every time, however, it brought back something different from what she looked for.

She stole a quick glance outside. It was noon. She spent all morning in this place. She looked back to the normal type and concluded at long last that the bookstore must not have had anything about the strange dungeon in stock. "Look-let's try something else," she began, "Do you have anything about strange...artifacts? Items that have...significantly powerful affects?"

"Hmm..." the normal type hummed as they carelessly dropped the book, "I know we have The Adventurer's Guide to Wondrous Gag Items-" The fluffy pokemon turned away to begin to look for the book, but already Kira knew it was not what she wanted.

"Maybe something that gives pokemon weird markings all over their body?" She spoke hastily with a paw reached out as if to stop the pokemon hesitantly.

The chinchilla pokemon looked back to her with a blank expression. The two proceeded to stare at one another for a full moment. Kira could only stare back with her own blank expression as she felt the situation turn quite awkward for her. She could see the gears turn in the normal type's cold lifeless button eyes before the sparkle that once inhabited them returned. Gradually, the minccino took in a long breath as a wide smile stretched from ear to ear, "I have that!" they cried with confidence and glee.

"Wha-Really!?" Kira spoke up as her enthusiasm began to match the minccino's.

"Yeah!" The normal type responded with a nod. They turned and practically flung themselves off the desk onto the bookshelves. They climbed up shelf by shelf but not before accidentally kicking a few more books down into the mess below. Kira watched on with hope as the normal type clutched something in their tiny hands and jumped back down to the desk. With a new surge of optimism, the librarian presented the book to Kira-who's eyes also seemed to shine with enthusiasm. She gazed upon the book with a hunger for knowledge she never knew she had before...to find that it was just a coloring book that was partially filled in-the markings on the pokemon looked vaguely like scribbles made by a child.

The shine vanished, along with Kira's smile, while the minccino remained ever-joyful. While a part of her just wanted to say that it was exactly what she looked for and purchase it to avoid crushing the normal type's hopes, another wanted to scream at this normal type for their idiocy. She took in a deep breath before exhaled slowly as she reached for her explorer bag-

"That'll be four thousand poke!" The mincinno chimed gleefully.

"FOR A USED COLORING BOOK!?" came the outraged cry. Nope. All pity she had for this fool was gone-and so was she. With a huff and an up-turned nose, she decided it was best for her to exit the premises before any more of a scene was caused. Not without one last shout, "As! If!" her moody tone accentuated her anger as she slammed the door shut behind her and stormed out into the streets of Grassveil. A few citizens looked onto the scene with curiosity, but she paid them little mind.

She needed to try somewhere else.