1x1 Pokemon: Jewels of the Aether - On the Run (Tala x 1:22)

"What the -" the merchant said. "YOU!"

(Michelle and Belle encounter a Flare Guild Merchant!)

Michelle

HP: 20
Atk: 9
Def: 20%

Belle

HP: 20
Atk: 4
Def: 20%

Flare Guild Merchant

HP: 30
Atk: 9
Def: 30%

Michelle attacks... Critical Hit!
Flare Merchant takes 13 damage!
Belle attacks... Hit!
Flare Merchant takes 7 damage.
Flare Merchant attacks Michelle... Miss!

Michelle (20/20)
Belle (20/20)
Flare Merchant (10/30)

 

Belle looked happy enough that Michelle was protecting her, so she prepared another round of Magical Leaves and fired away.

2nd round

Belle uses Magical Leaf... Miss!
Flare Merchant attacks Belle... but Michelle defends Belle!

Michelle (20/20)
Belle (20/20)
Flare Merchant (10/30)

Meanwhile, Leon saw that Romantia was officially secure and supplies were coming into the city from Illumis. With the militia now using the remains of the fortress, all looked well. Now, all he had to do was prevent the incoming attack in the first place. Now that he thought of it, if he and Michelle could draw the Flare Guild away from Flusselles, then Romantia would stand a better chance...

 

3rd round

Belle uses Magical Leaf... Miss!
Flare Merchant attacks Belle... but Michelle defends Belle!
Michelle is defending!

Michelle (20/20)
Belle (20/20)
Flare Merchant (10/30)

[This is taking a while,] Belle complained.

Elsewhere, the fortress was undergoing hasty repairs and was being transformed into a trading post for Romantia. With the militia in control, Romantia seemed safe from that direction, as the militia were getting a constant flow of supplies. Afterwards, he told Guardian Valerie of his plan to draw the invasion away, which Valerie agreed was okay as long as he was safe.

 

[Um... no, but I can use Leaf Blade,] Belle replied, but she doubted Michelle could understand that. Even so, she went ahead for the attack.

4th round

Belle uses Leaf Blade... Hit!
Flare Merchant takes 9 damage!
Flare Merchant attacks Belle... Critical Hit!
Belle takes 14 damage!

Michelle (20/20)
Belle (6/20)
Flare Merchant (1/30)

Leon gave the guards a friendly wave as he continued his journey to meet up with Michelle.

 

5th round

Michelle attacks... Hit!
Flare Merchant takes 6 damage.
Flare Merchant was defeated!

Michelle (20/20)
Belle (6/20)
Flare Merchant (0/30)

By the time the merchant collapsed, Leon was still a good distance away from Michelle and Belle, but he was making progress. Belle was a little weakened, though.

 

(Now approaching Frescora...)

Belle wanted to say something, but Michelle had already run off.

The town of Frescora was very chilly with a northern wind blowing across its streets. A lot of snow covered the northern section of the town and staying warm was a priority here. Unfortunately, for the townspeople and Michelle, the town had Flare Guild merchants patrolling the streets. It seemed that while the guild did not control this town, they had a huge influence on it.

Wanted posters were all over the place. There were no pictures, but they obviously described Leon and Michelle. The guild was offering a substantial reward for their capture.

 

"Oh hi, Belle, there you are," Leon greeted the little Bellossom. "Say, where did Michelle go?"

[She went up ahead to see if we could find a place to stay,] Belle squeaked. Scratching his head, Leon wondered why Michelle didn't wait for him. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to look ahead and see if there was anything useful.

(Frescora is the only town between Flusselles and Romantia)

 

They met well away from Frescora, and by the time they did, Leon noticed Michelle's face was very pale. "Hey, are you okay? What's going on?"

[I think she saw something very weird, or something bad,] Belle squeaked. [Anyway, I'm going to rest, so if you need me...]

Belle then pointed at the Heart charm and Leon put her away.

 

"Hey, hey, breathe," Leon said calmly. He rested a hand on her shoulder. "Hmm... Then what should we do? We could always camp and try to sneak around the town, since it's the only way we can get to Flusselles."

 

"It's still pretty bright out, though. I think the best we can do is to try to get past the town, or try to sneak some supplies if we can," Leon said. "Otherwise, we can always go to a tavern on the outskirts for lunch, if there is one."

He looked to the nearby town gates. It was apparent that there was a guild presence there. However, the way Leon saw it, the presence was much less than that of Romantia.

"It seems that we might be able to get away with a few hours in there," he said. "We'll try to buy some supplies, and then we'll be moving. With any luck, Romantia might be able to support them."

(@WavePearl Any lore on Frescora, by the way?)