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

Watching Michelle sleep like this did put Leon to rest too. Soon enough, he drifted off to sleep too. He needed whatever rest he could get. But before he did, he added more wood to the fire to keep the flames alive. After that, he went to sleep too.

 

Leon, however, was still sleeping soundly as he had a lack of sleep. His equipment were on the ground, the fire had almost died out and only smoke and ash remained. A chilly gust of wind was blowing, but the sunlight compensated for the cold.

Elsewhere, on the other side of Frescora, Flare Guild merchants were starting their days by entering the town and conducting patrols. Shops were opening, but merchants were there to make sure the town was obeying the rules set out by the guild.

 

Frescora was a lot simpler than Romantia for certain. The giant windmill was the main landmark of the town, with the gusty winds blowing against it and giving the edge it needed. The tavern was open too, and on a normal day the citizens would love to grab a glass of milk from the local milkmaid. If there was time, she would also have exported milk to Romantia in exchange for goods. But with the merchant guild messing around, the milk was kept strictly within the town and was rerouted to Flusselles instead.

There were not many merchants here compared to Romantia, given there wasn't a fortress nearby, so maneuvering around the town should be easy. The town square featured a general store, a tavern, and the cleric, whereas the road to the north featured the windmill and the roads covered in snow.

 

Leon woke up still dizzy but he felt very cold. He then realised first that his cloak was no longer with him and that Michelle wasn't here either. Where could she have gone? Was she captured? No... that wasn't possible. Did she steal anything from him? But his shoulder bag was still here. What did that mean? Was it possible she had gone into town?

Fortunately Leon had his blazer with him still. He put it on to retain his formality and also put his hat away. It was better not to make himself stand out enough as he was.

Meanwhile, the clerk noticed Michelle eyeing the particular scarf. "Hello, my friend? See something that interests you? I could get you a deal... ha, if only, with all these taxes going around that's not happening."

 

"Um... okay," the clerk said. "But just for a few minutes."

The clerk eventually made it to the gate, where she was met with a very handsome young man. He had blue hair, matching his blue dress shirt and blazer, and that made the clerk very edgy. What the clerk didn't know was that this handsome man was in fact Michelle's friend.

"Oh, hello," Leon said. "Can I help you?"

 

(Ah I see what you mean. I've edited it.)

The clerk couldn't get over just how handsome Leon was. If this was really who that redhead was talking about, then why not help him?

"Um... I was wondering if you needed help getting into the town," she said. She was already blushing the moment she stepped closer to Leon. "Um! What I meant was if you needed help!"

Leon scratched his head. "Sure," he said. "I'm looking for a friend of mine. She was here this morning when we were on the trail but it seems like she's disappeared."

The clerk motioned for Leon to follow her. "Well, you could always start by looking at the town. If there's anything you need, I'll be happy to help you!" With that, she grabbed Leon's arm and dragged him into the town and back to her shop.

 

The clerk brought Leon to her shop but still didn't let go of his arm. She only did at the last minute when she stopped to pick up one of her scarves on the ground. "Huh, so it seems like someone's been trying to take my stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if a merchant caught him or her in the act!"

"It is a nice scarf, though," Leon remarked. He straightened his blazer once more. "Um, thank you for your help."

The clerk blushed red. "It's my pleasure! Have a nice day! Oh, and if you like this scarf, I can get you a deal."

"That's nice, but I think I'll pass," Leon replied. He had a few other things to do, like finding Michelle and then finding a way to get to Flusselles. Luckily, there weren't that many guild merchants in the town today, so he had some breathing space. He started walking around the town of Frescora and tried searching for Michelle. On the way, he found the wanted poster Michelle had mentioned earlier and was glad he wasn't wearing his forest cloak. As he walked around, he caught the attention of many girls he passed by.

 

Leon's mind went completely blank when the girls had surrounded him, and grew extremely nervous when one of them had wrapped her arm with his.

"Um... my name is Leon. Leon Pinetree," he said. His voice was extremely shaky. "Look, I don't know if I have the time for dates. I am a very busy man."

Belle, who was hearing the conversation within the Heart charm, facepalmed. [Leon, that is not how you interact with girls! Why, even Michelle would call this embarrassing.]

 

Leon felt completely helpless as the girl kept clinging to him while the other stayed at his side. "Look, I... I haven't got time. Seriously, I -"

He broke off when he saw a Flare Guild merchant walking about the streets. For the sake of the girls, he had to disappear. "There's a friend of mine," he said as he pointed at the merchant. "I'm meeting him right now."

 

Leon breathed a sigh of relief that the girls had finally left. Even though they might have treated him like a hostile, it was for their own safety that he did so. Now still uncertain of where Michelle was, he walked around the town carefully so he wouldn't be sighted. Still, his presence still was catching the eyes of many girls on the way.

Meanwhile, the scarf clerk found Michelle sulking in the alley. "Hey, friend," she said. "What are you doing here?"