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

Belle squeaked a sigh of relief at Michelle's affectionate petting, and even more when she placed her on the table. While watching Michelle eat, Belle squeaked, [I just want to know why you seem so tired! What happened anyway? Did something happen between you and Leon?]

Knowing Michelle wouldn't understand at least half of what she was saying, Belle pointed in the direction of Leon's room.

 

Belle crossed her arms. [I know something is up between you and Leon!] she sqeuaked. [He couldn't sleep last night...]

The fact was that Leon was still sleeping in meant there wasn't much Belle could do either. Elsewhere, outside the inn, the city of Flusselles was starting out its day. However, with a Flare Guild fortress and a garrison outside the city, things were getting tough to begin with.

 

Belle was almost touched at Michelle's kind gesture, but before she could reply, Michelle was up and walking. Not wanting to leave this pie to waste, Belle took the pie and started eating. At the same time, Leon was groggily waking up from his room with a headache from lack of sleep.

Outside, Michelle was greeted with the cold atmosphere of Flusselles. If there was anywhere in the city that looked welcoming, it was the tavern. The Sundial overlooked the city mysteriously while the marketplace was doing business with the port. A general store was located not too far from the port either, but as it happened the port was under partial Flare Guild control, so life wasn't that easy. If it wasn't for the efforts of the oracle Olympia, the guild might have taken over the port itself and starve the city. Fortunately, that wasn't the case, but it still meant a fortress and a military garrison were still in place, and that was just as bad.

 

Leon was enjoying a slow breakfast with Belle. Belle, who couldn't finish Michelle's pie, ended up giving it to Leon for his meal. While eating as he was half-asleep, he said, "Is Michelle up already?"

Belle nodded. She pointed to the outside which Leon supposed meant Michelle was already out and about. Before he could move, though, a girl at the inn stopped him in his tracks and asked him for a date. He shook his head, though. No way was he going to be dating anytime soon.

While Michelle passed through the marketplace, a woman in the shadows was not far behind her. She was dressed in purple sage robes and had hair colour to match. It was none other than the oracle Olympia, and she was doing her best to stay unnoticed. When the time was right, she would talk to Michelle directly.

 

"Hmm...?" Leon said quietly, still half-asleep. "Are we going already...?"

[Yeah, we have to go!] Belle squeaked. [Eat your pie!]

"Oh alright..." Leon mumbled. He finished up his pie and then went to pack his shoulder bag, hat, and bow. Afterwards, he was ready, albeit still very tired, and walked out of the inn with Michelle. Outside were a few Flare Guild soldiers who looked even more intimidating than the merchants. Still, it was best to keep out of their sight.

"If we're going to attack the fortress, we need some intelligence first," Leon said. "Where shall we start?"

 

Leon nodded. "Alright, then let's go."

They kept a lower profile as they walked toward the marketplace. As Michelle put it, if there was one place they could gather information, it was there. The marketplace was mostly found under a single roof, which made sense as the stalls and booths had to be located somewhere close to the port. While guild soldiers patrolled the streets, the merchants kept the markets regulated. This also meant the sale of weapons was banned and huge taxes were imposed in the market too.

Trying to keep a low profile, Leon said as he cradled Belle in his arms. "We'll meet at the pier in an hour and see what info we can dig up. How does that sound?"

 

The memory of Michelle's lips on his own burned in his mind, and Leon almost stumbled over a chair and nearly dropped Belle on the way.

[Watch it, buddy!] Belle squeaked.

Meanwhile, the man didn't say a lot to Michelle, but did end up saying, "Oh, we just do business with each other. That port is basically what's keeping us alive, and things would have been better if we could connect with the town of Frescora. But with the guild controlling the checkpoint, we would need applications, and they could take weeks to process."

 

Leon helped himself up and continued carrying Belle around in his arms. He tried to push Michelle out of his mind for now while he went about gathering more information. As there were guild soldiers patrolling about his end of the market, Leon lowered his hat and went in the direction of the port. Maybe he could find something there.

Elsewhere at the last stand Michelle was at, the attendant gave Michelle a friendly wave. "She is very cute, isn't she?" she asked. "Dancing is one of her hobbies."

Not far from where Michelle was standing, Olympia was keeping a watchful eye on her and the Fennekin. Given the lack of merchants around here at the moment, the time to talk should be soon.

 

(Understandable. Happy travels!)

"Aw... they look so cute together!" the attendant squealed. Watching the Typhlosion and Fennekin dance brought a smile to her face, and the heat was welcome in a cold environment like this. "Heh, anyways, those red cloaks... they're merely the merchants who collect levies off of the port. Whatever the port delivers to stalls, these merchants collect levies from the stalls and then bring it back to their fortress. It's as simple as that."

The Fennekin danced circles around Ian, meanwhile.

As for Leon, he started monitoring the activities of the port to see what he could gather. Guild soldiers were more frequent, as well as merchants, but he merely took the identity of a passerby and snooped around a little longer. A gust of wind made him shiver, and even Belle had to tuck herself to stay warm.

 

"They have been here for about a month," the attendant replied. "When the Flare Guild arrived - by ship, by the way - they saw how well the marketplace was thriving because of the port. Afterwards, they built their fortress and then got those red cloaks to supervise the port. They said it was for our protection, but a lot of us don't believe them when they have soldiers controlling the streets of Flusselles. Who are we to fight? That fortress hasn't been around for long."

As for the port itself, Leon was monitoring the area very carefully. From what he gathered, the guild had a command post set up to watch over the entire port. Within it was probably a cohort of guild soldiers with all its weapons and armour. A sentry kept watch at he front and would switch posts with another every hour. At some point, a red-cloaked merchant would walk into the post with bags of gold.