Two thieves and a cop walk into town...

Saido looked around at the rather crowded streets of Rainfront, puzzling over where to go. The city was large, Pokemon of all sorts ambling about in it's streets, on their way to local stores, or eateries, or maybe just enjoying a walk? Regardless of their purpose, Saido walked among them, although he had absolutely no clue where it was he was going. Ever since joining the exploration team with the kindly Ralts he'd met in Grassveil, it had weighed on the back of his mind that he had an... obligation, perhaps? Yes... An obligation to actually explore places... And what better place to start with than Rainfront?

So far, nothing of note had really happened. The people were much the same as they were in Grassveil, ambling along in pursuit of their daily goals. As they noticed the dark type pass by, many of them reached for their bags, confirming that the flap was still closed, that the Nickit hadn't done anything shifty. Honestly, it... well... No, what was the point in reflecting on that for very long? He couldn't change who he was, and...

"Food!" Saido blurted out suddenly, at no one and nothing in particular. It attracted quite a few confused glares, but it distracted him from the negative thoughts that had begun to bounce about in his mind. As the fox approached a nearby food stall, he fished about in his bag, hoping to find some coin there. He was hungry... He was always hungry. He just hoped he could pay for the food...

~

Alki ambled along in Rainfront, quite unsure of just how she was going to find the Pokemon she was looking for. Rainfront was big. Bigger than she remembered it being, honestly... Although maybe that was just because Darcy wasn't nearby anymore? Everything felt so much bigger and scarier when the Skitty wasn't present...  the pink balloon walked about, wearing a small cloak so as to protect her from the early autumn chill. It was colder in Rainfront than it was in Grassveil too, honestly...

The girl came out into a small gathering of stalls; artisans and cooks, vendors of all kinds stood behind stalls, shouting about their goods, trying to attract potential buyers. It bothered her... Not the vendors, perse, but the noise... Everything was so noisy... The girl took a step back, frozen by anxiety and fear from the loud noise. A small whimper escaped her, growing in intensity as she felt someone nudge her softly.

She turned to her side, looking at the culprit. A small, rather thin nickit watched her curiously, worry clearly written across his face. Was it that obvious she was frightened...? Her eyes travelled upwards, to a small cap nestled between his ears. Was the fox... was that a police cap...? The jigglypuff began to tremble, reminding herself that she hadn't done anything wrong. Nothing wrong, she hadn't stolen anything, she was just hiding there in the corner terrified of the Pokemon in the marketplace and the noise and --

"Hey, um... Are you Ok?" Saido asked, making an effort to soften his voice. Usually he was quite loud and outspoken, but the poor fairy already seemed so terrified of... something. She seemed so small...

"P-Police...?" Alki offered, pointing up at the Nickit's hat. This prompted a small laugh, and bashful smile from the Nickit.

"Ah, not yet... I will be one day though! Heh..." As his laugh subsided, Saido's smile lost it's brightness, instead looking down at the girl. Why was she asking...? "Do... You need a police officer? I'm... sure I could find some help for you if you need it..." The fox lowered himself closer to the ground, trying to make himself the same height as the balloon. "Are you Ok...?"

Alki remained silent, unsure of what to say. She just wanted to find Leander... She had something to tell him... Something good! There was an extra feather in her bag, just for him, and, well... She was excited! But... she couldn't summon the courage to go back onto the street in search of him in such a big city, not alone, and the fox had noticed her fear, and... what was she supposed to say? Alki shook her head slowly, laughing nervously.

"A... Ahaha, I'm... heh, f-fine, j-just w-waiting for... f-for a friend..."

Saido tilted his head, glancing back at the food stall behind him. He didn't have money for the place, and it's not like he had much to do specifically... And she seemed so terrified and pale, still...

"Ok... I'll wait with you. Just until he comes... You... Um, don't look so good..." Saido said, seating himself beside the jigglypuff, being careful not to sit too close. He didn't want to spook her...

"Ya out shopping?"

"Nah, just taking a walk!"

"Hiii!"

"Hello!"

The lively town of Rainfront had many greetings to offer a certain Seedot as he leisurely strolled through its crowded street, and he had just as much cheer to give in return. Leander, as a pokémon who frequently craved the company of others, was no stranger to many of the town's vendors and other inhabitants. Staying at home was lonely, and the town was upbeat and welcoming, so the fact that it was getting chilly outside at this time of the year put no halt to his errand runs and walks; he just wrapped himself up in an excessively thick red scarf, covering so much of him he could just barely peep out from the little opening it left between itself and the grey acorn cap above his eyes. In a place like Rainfront, mere winter clothes thankfully were enough to keep him warm throughout the year. Even if the autumn winds felt colder right now, he knew Grassveil's temperatures would soon dip even more, so Rainfront clearly was the superior town to him in terms of temperatures. Blessed be moderate climates.

However, nice pokémon and warm scarves weren't his only reasons for being out and about today. The acorn had gone to town more frequently than usual lately, because of a friend he had made a little while ago. He had agreed to meet with Alki here in this town, but... Neither of them had thought to discuss just where in the town to meet, and he hadn't told her where his house was or anything. It had hit him right as he had arrived back home, but by then it was far too late to fix it. Thus he kept wandering through town, just in case this was the day the Jigglypuff would come. She would come to tell him even if he wasn't accepted... right?

The worry of her either never coming or her coming but him not being around at the time to meet her had nagged him a lot, but luckily today would be the day that worry dissipated. As Leander was ending a casual conversation with a Bibarel at a stall selling home decorations carved from wood, he spotted a pink speck, hidden behind walls upon walls of mingling citizens. It felt to him as if his eyes had grown more reactive to that shade of pink as of late, like they were becoming radars to hopefully aid him in not missing Alki if she were to appear. Anything in that colour caught his attention immediately. As the pokémon moved and allowed him to see better, he spotted a cloak around that colour and... oh yes, a red feather! It had to be her!

"AlrightI'lltalktoyoulatergoodbye!" The dying remnants of the conversation were swiftly wrapped up and dismissed, much to the shopkeep's surprise, before the Seedot began excitedly scurrying through the crowds and over to the food stall where he believed to have seen her. "Alkiii! Heeey!" he called out as he finally pushed through the last living wall and into the less crowded clearing just around the stall. Although somewhat muffled by the scarf, his call was still loud. After a few more merry skips, he arrived by her side, nearly bumping into her as he wobbled forward while halting his speed. "I finally found you, thank Arceus! So sorry about not telling you anything about where to go, gah, I hope you didn't have to search for me or anything and-"

Dead stop. Was that a Nickit? Who was this? He peered over Alki, which wasn't too hard given her height, and right at the fox.

"Oh. Hello to you too. You a friend of Alki's or...?"

Leander still sounded and looked friendly in all perceivable ways, but... there was no denying what kind of hat that was on the kit's head. And it made him skeptical of his business with Alki.

"So... What's your name?" Saido offered, turning to face the balloon Pokemon.  As he took her in, she seemed ever so curious... The cloak was reasonable, given how cold she seemed... Rainfront was probably chilly if you didn't have a lot of fur, after all, especially around this time of year. Grassveil was much worse in that regard though. It wasn't really her physical appearance that piqued the fox's curiosity, nor her choice of garment. It was the strange red feather that adorned one of her ears. She seemed shy about the subject, though, turning away as she noticed him focusing on the feather.

"A-Alki..." Her voice rung out softly, easily drowned out by the surrounding snippets of conversation. Why was he looking at her feather? Did he know something? Was it a suspicion? Did he suspect her for something? Why did he have a Police hat? For once, the girl was thankful the surrounding conversations were so loud, because it drowned out her fearful whimper... The fox didn't seem to hear it. Good.

"Alki, huh? That's a pretty name, y'know... I like your feather, by the way!" Saido said softly, receiving only a nod of shy affirmation in return. "M'name's Saido!" The kit said proudly, standing up as he proclaimed it. Was he too loud? He seemed to have spooked her... Oops... He sat back down shyly, unsure of how to proceed. He'd never met someone this shy... What was she doing in the most crowded part of town, if it was this bad...? Maybe she was making an effort...? Well, he couldn't not respect that...

"H-H-Hello..."

They both sat in awkward silence with each other, Saido unsure of how to proceed with the pink wallflower beside him, and the girl unsure of just what to say to a Policemon... Or an aspiring one...

"I-I like your hat..." She said softly, which seemed to brighten the Nickit up quite a bit. Before he could say anything, however, a Seedot came stumbling in, practically running into her, prompting a spooked eep, before quickly turning into a hug between the two Pokemon.

"L-Lea! Hi!" The balloon said, her mood visibly brightening at the sight of the acorn. Well, that was cute. Whatever their history, Saido figured they must have been pretty close... The acorn quickly apologized about a variety of things, prompting the balloon's ears to fold, shaking her head over and over.

"A-Ah, it's no big deal..." She said softly, before Leander turned his attention to Saido. A friend...? Maybe not yet, but she seemed nice enough, and he didn't have a hard time telling the truth...

"Ah, no, I just met her, to tell the truth. It's just... She seemed awfully frightened, so I figured I might as well keep her company, y'know?" Saido said easily, subtly adjusting the bag by his side. These two seemed to be focusing on him now, and he didn't want them to see anything they shouldn't... "My name's Saido! ...I'm assuming you're Lea? It's nice to meet you!" Saido said, extending a paw forward for a handshake, so to speak...

He held it there for a few seconds. Why wasn't he shaking? Saido inspected the acorn, seeming to grow a bit nervous, before he realized his crucial mistake. He didn't have hands...

"Oh! Ohohohoh I'm really sorry I didn't realize that's my bad! I'm... Uh... T-That was rude, I..." The Nickit stammered out, unable to think of anything except this latest gaff. That was so stupid! How hadn't he realized...? "I... Uh, s-sorry. I-I wanna be a Policemon one day! If you can believe it... I'll probably have to get a lot smarter by then, huh...?" He already had enough obstacles to work around, what with his typing and history and all, but this mistake wasn't reassuring in the least... He just hoped that the Seedot and his friend would forgive him...

"Ah, that's kind of you," the Seedot responded to the Nickit saying he'd stayed with Alki. To be frank, he felt kind of bad imagining poor Alki being dragged into such a noisy, crowded town because of him... He shook it off, reminding himself that she had said she was okay with this. And what use was there in apologizing any more now? Making sure she had fun from now on would be much better! Plus, they had this new guy to talk to too, and he'd likely get bored if Leander just moped and apologized all day.

"Yeah, that'd be me. Nice to meet you too!" he answered Saido.

Then the fox reached his paw out. And Leander stared. And stared. Silently.

When the kit finally seemed to have realized the problem with that, the acorn's eyelids drooped a little and he averted his gaze from the canine. Not quite angrily, but there definitely was some disappointment in there. Ah, to be reminded of that damn deficiency again, when he was going to have such a good time...

He quietly drew in breath and exhaled, and pushed his eyelids back up. No, him going to have a good time was just more reason not to get caught up in this. He had met Alki again, he would get his answer about the Phantom Thieves and be able to check if she was feeling better, he had gotten another fantastic hug and Saido had not meant to hurt him anyway. Sulking over it would be a waste of a wonderful day!

Leander's following chuckle started with an almost hesitant creak before it broke out for real.

"No, no, it's fine! It's no big deal, really," he forced out, shifting his outer mood from dejectedness to bubbly glee in a snap as he shook his body haphazardly from side to side. After a small shake-break, he resumed talking. "A future policemon, huh! I see, so that's why you're wearing a hat like that. Guess Alki was pretty safe, then." Honestly, he did sort of agree with what the Nickit said, but he wasn't gonna tell the poor kid that. For now he decided to just brush it off and work on making himself feel the way he acted for real.

This had settled the police issue, after all. He wasn't a cop, and he did not seem like he would pose a threat even though he wanted to become one. Their little thief meeting hadn't derailed quite yet.

Saido shifted his eyes down, the crowds around them just as loud as ever, but all he could hear was his own inner thoughts. 'Saido, you dolt,' He said to himself, closing his eyes as his ears trembled, the small frown on his face making clearer than ever the distaste for his own actions. 'You're so stupid. Wasn't it obvious?' The Nickit's tail dusted the ground behind him, as he awkwardly shifted the position of his front paws. The way he was seated was uncomfortable no matter what he did. He tried to match the gaze of the Seedot, trying to smile even as his own thoughts had their way with him. He should be happy! The other Pokemon was so eager to forgive him, but no matter what he tried, he couldn't summon a real smile... He was dumb. Was that something he could fix...?

"Y-Yeah, t-thank you..." Alki's timid voice spoke up, after the Seedot had finished speaking. The Nickit had been quiet for an awful long time, and even if his future aspirations were... well, bad, she hated to see him beat himself up like this. He didn't need to say anything. It was obvious. The way he tilted his head down, the feeble attempts at happiness... "I d-did feel safe! I t-think... I think you'll d-do a very good job of being a police-mon! I'd... h-hate to g-get on your bad side..."

"Ah, really? Thanks..." Saido responded, a flicker of a smile re-appearing. "I'm sorry to make that mistake, Lea. I'll do my best to make sure it won't happen again!" The Nickit responded, a tone of measured happiness returning to his voice. It wasn't that his doubts were erased, or frustration vanished, but... why not be happy? Wasn't that a good thing to be?

The orange fox's eyes turned to the food stalls nearby, tongue flickering out, for just a second at the sheer amount of flavors he could smell. Berries of all kinds... Maybe pastries? Oh... He could scarcely imagine... "So... Um, heh... Have you guys... Um, eaten yet? 'Cause I haven't. And... Doesn't that look good...? " He pointed at the food stalls nearby, prompting a small nod from Alki. The balloon Pokemon turned to look at her companion. She wasn't sure what kind of food that was, or if it was any good, but she wanted to make sure the future Phantom-thief would want to stop and eat as well.

"Well, t-that sounds fine by me, if y-you're hungry too, L-Lea...?" The Pink Pokemon asked, turning to look at the Seedot.

"I have money..." Saido offered quietly, shifting uncomfortably. He didn't have much of it, but surely he could afford a meal... Last time he'd been in a position like this, he'd had to ask for someone else's charity... And he'd been lucky, (and stubborn,) enough for it to work out. This time though? He didn't have to take anyone else's money! He wasn't a burden... What kind of aspiring hero was broke, after all?

The Seedot's eyelids sunk again for a moment when he noticed the Nickit's little frown and ear trembles, but he corrected them rather quickly. Ah, so his attempt at defusing the situation was failing, then... Damn, why'd he have to go and react so strongly to that? It was just some missing arms, not the end of the world! And now he wasn't able to patch the mood back up again. His pupils flicked from one part of the kit to another as he thought of something more to say, something that would reinforce what he had said before...

But that was hardly needed, thanks to a little angel known as Alki. As she swooped in with a supporting sentence, his gaze ran laps from one pokémon's face to another, taking on an relieved and admiring sparkle as it noticed how her statement had affected Saido. Was the problem fixed now? Did that make him happier? Ah, how wonderfully kind of her to help! his mind cheered, reflected on the outside as a subtle wiggle. As Saido apologized again, Leander channeled some of that into a firm but forgiving nod. Yes, there was no reason to worry about that anymore! He too was starting to feel better.

As Saido peered over at the nearby food stalls, the Leander followed suit. Ah yes, food. Breakfast had been a while ago, now that he thought about it. Maybe that was why the earlier mishap had gotten to him so easily. He turned back to Alki and Saido to nod again. "Yeah, something to eat sounds good right now."

He looked back at the stalls, studying what they had in store. One had a big wood platter full of spherical, fried buns, with a plethora of bowls with different berry jams and syrups adjacent to it. And with the warm, sweet scent wafting through the street there was no mistaking what it was. "Oh, they have apple slices!" he exclaimed, a proud twinkle in his eye from being able to identify it as he skipped past the other two to get a closer look.

"Those are pretty good, y'know?"

(Note: the actual name of the dish I had Lea refer to is æbleskiver, which is a Danish street food. It literally translates to "apple slices", even though they're not apple slices at all. I decided to go for a translated version so you don't have to type in æ's everywhere to refer to the dish ahaha)

Saido sat, one ear flickering as he observed the other two pokemon. They certainly seemed to know each other, and seemed to be on quite good terms. The way the Seedot snuck glances at her every so often, his admiration for her practically radiating off of him. He could understand why though. She seemed like a very nice type of Pokemon, if very bashful. The way she'd spoken up for him, even though she hardly knew him... Well, it had certainly done a good job of lifting his spirits! The acorn had already gone ahead to check out the stalls around them, and while it hadn't been the one the nickit had been eyeing, it still seemed quite interesting.

"Apple slices, huh?" Saido commented, walking forward to observe the treat, along with Lea. "Sounds interesting! This is my first time in Rainfront, so whatever you two recommend!" Saido exclaimed proudly, before extracting a small pouch of money. "'N I can pay for it too!"

Alki walked forward as well, holding out her own pouch of money. "A-A-Apple slices sound good! A-Are they sweet? Or... Um... W-What do they taste like? I-I c-can pay, y-y'know... I-If you want me to..." The jigglypuff huddled close to the other two, perhaps infringing a bit on their personal space. But they were in the way! And there were a lot of other Pokemon, and if she didn't do something to get out of their way, well... It was nervewracking. Crowds were scary. She was just happy there were friends to accompany her...

"A-Although... U-Um, would it be ok if we eat somewhere a bit more... q-quiet...?"

"They are sweet, but if you want 'em sweeter you can put jam on them," Leander chirped, still beaming ever so slightly with pride over his knowledge. It calmed as Alki moved closer, replaced by a gentle and welcoming eye-smile. Yes, it was better they stuck near each other rather than risk getting separated in the crowd. Plus, after having been limited to only seeing the townsfolk for a few days, he was glad to have his friend close where he could see her.

It was almost like a lightbulb lit up over his head as she asked if they could eat someplace else, though. "Oh! Yes, of course!" Right, she had been uneasy about the big town before the whole stupid hand thing. He must've gotten too used to places like this himself to be able to forget so fast. So... where to, then? A thoughtful look pushed his pupils skyward, then sideways before the lids around would narrow closer in on them. Going all the way too the beach would perhaps be excessive, so then...

"How about we try to get out of the center of the town once we have the food and see if it's less noisy there? The buzz is usually worse the closer you are to the middle, so it'll be better at the very least." He then carefully walked yet a few more steps closer to the stand, regularly checking back at the other two to make sure they wouldn't get cut off from him.

Then he stopped, almost with a jolt. Just what had those two just said? Putting one foot over and past the other and whipping his body swiftly around, he put on a determined face. "But I'm the one who's paying, alright?"

After hearing about Alki's mother and all... Yeah, there was no way he was going to let her pay for this. Nor was he gonna let Saido. They had just met the kid, and in that short time they had already brushed with a sour experience. That wouldn't do. Leander gave a slight nod to himself. It was the Nickit's first time in Rainfront too, so now it was time to give him a good first impression of the town!

Alki nodded appreciatively, already picturing in her head what the apple slices might taste like. Sweet, huh? And with the potential to go even sweeter? It sounded almost too good to be true for Alki! If there was one flavor she could never get enough of, it was sweetness. There were vendors in the Grassveil town square who often sold candies of all sorts, so it was quite a welcome surprise to know Rainfront had a similar tradition! The jigglypuff nodded along, bouncing in place as she nodded at Leander. "Jam sounds good!" She managed softly, walking up next to the Seedot, getting as far away from the main bulk of the crowd as possible.

Saido, for his part, padded along behind the two, feeling quite uncertain of whether his presence was even needed at this point. He pawed at the ground, eyes downcast as he noticed the jigglypuff walking beside the Seedot. Should he walk alongside them? No, it was alright. He was fine behind them. The memory of the whole hand incident was still fresh in his mind, and he didn't want to push his luck with the Seedot.

"I'm fine, moving out of the center of town!" Saido said, finally gathering his courage enough to move up beside the other pokemon. He was fine in a crowd, but he didn't quite appreciate the way the passers-by looked at him. He could notice the way they held their bags closer to their bodies, the way they turned to face him, already suspicious... Well. He wanted to make sure they knew he wasn't alone. And the other two seemed like such nice pokemon! Surely, if he seemed to be in their company, nobody would think he was some sort of thief!

Both Saido and Alki jumped back in surprise. With no prior warning, Lea pivoted to face the two of them, his eyes were slightly narrowed, and suddenly seemed quite serious. Alki lowered her eyes, ears flattening as she blushed softly. She didn't respond, but it was obvious that she was agreeing. It'd do no good to argue, after all, and Lea seemed so... sure of himself! Who was she to deny him that? Besides, she could just pay him back later!

Saido, however, seemed much more anxious at Lea's insistence. He took a step back, ears quivering as he reached into the olive bag at his side, extracting a small pouch. "A-Are you sure, L-L... L-Lea?" The Nickit opened the bag, counting out the Poke in his head. One... Two... Three... Would that be enough? It had to be? "Y-You don't h-have to pay for me! I... I-I c-can pay for myself! I think... "

"I've already decided, kiddo. You don't live here, right? So it's like having guests over. And when you've got guests, all's on you. It's simple logic! So I'm paying, no ifs or buts." Despite still sounding stern, there was some humour to his tone as well. He reminded himself of Eleanore when he spoke like that, and how she'd reason with his rabid little self when he was younger. Luckily these kids were more alright, despite sketchier things he knew about one of them. It wasn't like he could judge her on that though, with him trying to get into just the same kind of business she was up to. Oh right, he still had not gotten to ask her about how the meeting with Synd'r went. That could get tricky to pull off with Cop Junior around, but he'd make it work somehow, he had decided. First, it was time for food!

He turned around again, looking at the stand. There was a line of about three pokémon in front of it, but Leander figured it wouldn't take long. Many buns were ready at the platter, so all those others had to do was pay and grab their share, right? "Do we go stand in the line, then? I can take care of the orders if you don't want to deal with the crowds there. How many do you want, and with what kinda jam?" It was mostly directed at Alki, but if Saido was new to this town, there was a chance it could get overwhelming after a while for him too. Leander wasn't sure how much he had been exposed to that sort of thing before, so keeping the offer open to both was likely best.