The LUMIOSE Team (PLOT)

"Sure." Looker chirped and Giovanni's warm smile widened. So agreeable. "She's a nice girl- she's the one who found me washed up on that shore. Recently dethroned Steven Stone." Really now? This new generation of trainers truly were tenacious. "Sharp, perceptive child, too, and very kind. Rather excitable, though that's not surprising because of her age. She absolutely didn't need to, but she decided to keep visiting me for a little while; she's the one who taught me a lot about pokemon and other such missing gaps in my memory about normal life. She'd wanted to introduce me to Steven--she was awfully fond of him, and I think she trusted that he would be able to help me--but Steven was working to make the transition smooth for her and she didn't want to bother him, so when I left for Orre after a week or two of trying to reacquaint myself with the world, she told me to come back soon if I didn't find answers and she'd introduce me."

Giovanni tilted his head. Orre? Now, why was Looker trying to get there? Did he remember something about that last fateful assignment? What would lead a man with absolutely no memory of the world or himself to a desolate wasteland like Orre? It had to be something like that-- the region was relatively unknown and rarely visited by tourists, as it lacked both unique native pokemon species and a League.

"I wish I had," Looker continued, sullened by regret. "But mostly, I hope she's still safe. She had an incredible bond with her pokemon, but... the virus doesn't... really care about such things... Raw power and intelligence only gets one so far. You need luck, too."

Such a statement pulled a sage nod from Giovanni. Looker spoke the truth, despite being... well. Him. "Very true. But the determined and resourceful have a much higher chance of survival-- your Champion sounds like she possesses vast quantities of both." He gently clapped Looker on the shoulder. "Perhaps you'll cross paths with her again."

Being in such familiar contact with one of his long-time enemies made Giovanni a bit giddy, and even though he'd basked a long while in the glorious warmth of his victory he still couldn't help himself. His smile broadening a little, he let his hand fall as it resumed its perch on his own hip. "You mentioned Orre; I have a basic knowledge of the region, but why were you seeking passage there?" His head tilted to the other side. "Orre was not a... very sought-after region, if I recall correctly."

((I am so sorry but Miranda still wouldn't be able to do anything other than react. I'm going to try really hard to find something else for her to do next round if Gio and Looker need more time.))

"Very true," Giovanni said with a somber nod. "But the determined and resourceful have a much higher chance of survival-- your Champion sounds like she possesses vast quantities of both."

He clapped Looker on the shoulder, gently. The action surprised him, though he managed not to physically react.

Huh. That felt. Nice. When was the last time someone touched me when not trying to kill me?

"Perhaps you'll cross paths with her again."

He smiled a little wider, beaming, before withdrawing the hand from Looker's shoulder, which made him ache more than he would have expected. Thankfully he didn't get much of a chance to ruminate on how pitiful that was. "You mentioned Orre; I have a basic knowledge of the region, but why were you seeking passage there?" His head tilted to the other side. "Orre was not a... very sought-after region, if I recall correctly."

Looker scowled. "Ugh, and with good reason." he sighed. "That place was-"

Awful. That wasn't a strong enough word. Any word strong enough said things about what happened there that was way too... intimate. He shuddered.

"Well, I went there because the first thing that surfaced was a vague feeling that I was supposed to be there doing something. Nothing concrete, but it was all I had to go off of and I couldn't stand the idea of building some sort of brand new life for myself when I'd already had a life, so... I went chasing it to Orre."

"You mentioned Orre; I have a basic knowledge of the region, but why were you seeking passage there?" Giovanni asked. "Orre was not a... very sought-after region, if I recall correctly."

Looker grimaced, "Ugh, and with good reason. That place was-" He grimaced before changing the sentence. "Well, I went there because the first thing that surfaced was a vague feeling that I was supposed to be there doing something. Nothing concrete, but it was all I had to go off of and I couldn't stand the idea of building some sort of brand new life for myself when I'd already had a life, so... I went chasing it to Orre."

Vitaly looked away guiltly. He had nothing to do with this, and Looker didn't know, but it still felt like he was being called out for his own hesitation in digging up his past. While trying to find anything else to focus on, he noticed Drizzt's posture.

The Weavile had stiffened and glanced over his shoulder warily to the talking men before flicking his gaze over to Vitaly so their eyes would meet. After a few seconds, Drizzt looked away to continue his watch, and since he didn't say aything more, Vitaly assumed that there was nothing currently dangerous.

He couldn't help wondering about what made Drizzt so antsy about the conversation, but before he could think on that for long, Siyal piped up.

"Gateon and Agate weren't so bad." He paused before adding with a head toss and some disdain, "And I guess Phenac too."

"Agate had a fair amount of traffic thanks to all the older trainers living there, and there was a shrine in the forest," Pelor mused aloud. "Though that isn't quite enough to warrant most people visiting if they didn't have relatives there, already."

"Ugh, and with good reason. That place was-" Looker's tone and expression were priceless as he reminisced on what precious few memories he had. Cute. Giovanni chuckled in the wake of the detective's disdain. "Well, I went there because the first thing that surfaced was a vague feeling that I was supposed to be there doing something. Nothing concrete, but it was all I had to go off of and I couldn't stand the idea of building some sort of brand new life for myself when I'd already had a life, so... I went chasing it to Orre."

The mobster's brow quirked as Looker explained himself, mulling over the new juicy tidbits the latter so freely offered. Alakazam was a powerful pokemon, and that power had been multiplied several times over when it turned into a Harbinger. It should have been able to completely destroyed any and all traces of Looker's memory... That there was still enough to send a man over the ocean to a foreign region...? A intriguing turn of events to say the least.

What else was there under the dense surface of that happy-go-lucky nonsense? What else had Alakazam missed?

"Gateon and Agate weren't so bad." Giovanni's eyes turned to the ghostly stallion, curious. Oh, this creature had been there personally? "And I guess Phenac too." There was another chuckle from the gym leader as Siyal begrudgingly included the last city. Phenac... rang a bit of a bell.

"Agate had a fair amount of traffic thanks to all the older trainers living there, and there was a shrine in the forest," the Larvesta mused aloud. "Though that isn't quite enough to warrant most people visiting if they didn't have relatives there, already."

"Fair. Though truthfully, those are really the only cities I recall," Giovanni hummed as he tilted his head again in somewhat genuine thought. He would like to unravel what all Looker's mind had held onto even after being decimated by one of the most powerful Psychic pokemon he'd ever seen. Mewtwo excluded, of course. "Those should be the largest cities, and have the most likelihood of being relevant to your past. I recall there's another city... P... Pyre? Something like that, but regardless, do any of those names ring a bell? Or perhaps you recall the scenery-- do you remember the ocean, the desert, forests? Anything at all?"

Looker was an unusually observant man.

It was one of the first things he noted about himself in the days after almost drowning and washing up on the beach. He noticed things easily and, what was more, he analyzed what he noticed quickly and near-effortlessly.

He'd assumed everyone did the same until Sapphire had pointed out it wasn't an especially common trait. He'd wondered what that meant about himself, but it soon proved a deeply useful trait to have even if it irritated other people sometimes when he would point out inconsistencies in their stories or their attitudes. Looker was fairly sure that without this ability, he'd be dead.

So when he noticed Drizzt move out of the corner of his eye, he assigned a portion of his brain to monitoring that for a minute out of the corner of his eye. He didn't miss the Weavile looking at him, but he didn't turn to look back. He let the ice-type believe he hadn't noticed the stiff posture or the glance sent his way, and he didn't bother pondering on it at the moment.

It wasn't important. Yet. Maybe later. But not right now.

"Gateon and Agate weren't so bad." Looker turned his body to pay attention to the phantom stallion, a little startled at the sudden interjection and now wholly curious. "And I guess Phenac too."

"Agate had a fair amount of traffic thanks to all the older trainers living there, and there was a shrine in the forest," Oh that's right. There was a city that tended to be where the older folk settled, wasn't there? What kind of town must it have been for that to happen? "Though that isn't quite enough to warrant most people visiting if they didn't have relatives there, already."

"Fair. Though truthfully, those are really the only cities I recall," Giovanni hummed. His head tilted in thought. Looker found himself mirroring him and stopped, feeling a little silly. "Those should be the largest cities, and have the most likelihood of being relevant to your past. I recall there's another city... P... Pyre? Something like that, but regardless, do any of those names ring a bell? Or perhaps you recall the scenery-- do you remember the ocean, the desert, forests? Anything at all?"

The scowl returned. "Pyrite. You're thinking of Pyrite."

God there was so much he did not want to go into.

"I got to spend time in Orre chasing shadows of myself before all of... this-" he gestured around "-but no, I don't recall any time spent in Orre before the loss of my memory. All of that chasing yielded nothing of value. Some of the other city names ring a bell, but only because I heard them in the few weeks leading up to the pandemic. If I was meant to do something in Orre, I still don't know what or even really where. I only went to Pyrite because it was the largest city and I figured it... for some reason I can't explain, I thought was the greatest chance I had at leads."

"Fair. Though truthfully, those are really the only cities I recall," Giovanni hummed as he thought. "Those should be the largest cities, and have the most likelihood of being relevant to your past. I recall there's another city... P... Pyre? Something like that, but regardless, do any of those names ring a bell? Or perhaps you recall the scenery-- do you remember the ocean, the desert, forests? Anything at all?"

Vitaly was able to keep an intrigued look on his face, but he hoped that the the conversation didn't turn to there. He had nothing he wanted to say about the place, and while he could simply keep quiet if they went in that direction, it wouldn't be pleasant for him.

His and Jude's Pokemon shared that sentiment as well.

Don't say Pyrite.
Please don't say Pyrite
Please don't say Pyrite
Please don't say-

With pure disgust, Looker scowled as he said the name out loud. "Pyrite. You're thinking of Pyrite." He had their attention. Drizzt was outright staring "I got to spend time in Orre chasing shadows of myself before all of... this-" He gestured towards everything, "-but no, I don't recall any time spent in Orre before the loss of my memory. All of that chasing yielded nothing of value. Some of the other city names ring a bell, but only because I heard them in the few weeks leading up to the pandemic. If I was meant to do something in Orre, I still don't know what or even really where. I only went to Pyrite because it was the largest city and I figured it... for some reason I can't explain, I thought was the greatest chance I had at leads."

Why would you go there? Vitaly couldn't help but wonder. Sure, Looker gave his motivations, but that was post losing his memories. What little he knew of the town proper was... not good. And Looker went there with no Pokemon and no other support from the sounds of it.

It was probably a miracle the man was alive given how cutthroat things were.

Pelor chose then to start nudging his legs to make him look down. The sun bug was clearly concerned, so Vitaly knelt down to pet at the excess fluff with his free hand. Hopefully the topic would change soon and he wouldn't need the distraction.

"Pyrite. You're thinking of Pyrite." Giovanni tilted his head out of curiosity, but the way Looker's bubbly voice turned flat and sardonic tickled the older man. Had some trouble there, did he? "I got to spend time in Orre chasing shadows of myself before all of... this-" He gestured around himself, indicating the plague, "-but no, I don't recall any time spent in Orre before the loss of my memory. All of that chasing yielded nothing of value. Some of the other city names ring a bell, but only because I heard them in the few weeks leading up to the pandemic. If I was meant to do something in Orre, I still don't know what or even really where. I only went to Pyrite because it was the largest city and I figured it... for some reason I can't explain, I thought was the greatest chance I had at leads."

So there were other small echoes still bouncing around in there? Curious. These hunches were strong enough to pull him about the world like a rag doll, but then again, when he had absolutely nothing else... Desperation was an incredible motivator. Perhaps he was lending too much credence to these "hunches" because Looker's own determination exacerbated them. It was certainly plausible. With nothing else to his name besides some odd feelings, what else would a man like that do?

Giovanni opened his mouth but stopped as something clattered outside. Immediately, his hand went up to keep the others silent and he ducked down behind the display case beside him. It didn't sound like a loud crash, but it wasn't an easy feat for him or any of his other pokemon to investigate; they were all simply too big. Had their light conversation attracted another goon?

The sound of clattering outside knocked the bitter meloncholy out of him immediately in favor of dread and fear.

He froze for a moment before slowly standing, head snapping to stare at the door.

For a moment there was no sound, but then there was another sound--softer, this time. Something half a growl and half a whine, and the tense feeling in his stomach didn't loosen. That sound wasn't human. Was it a living pokemon, or an undead one?

He inched towards a gap in the boarded up windows to peek. Something brown, he could see- small and... maybe dog-like, moving away from the door now.

Looker in kind retreated from the window, voice low.

"Doesn't move like one of the dead, but I couldn't see much. It's a small pokemon. Brown. Might be a dog. I didn't get much of a look beyond that... but they looked like they were alone."

The tense feeling was beginning to ease a little, a different kind of worry settling in. One small pokemon, even of a high level, would be no match for all the pokemon here. And what if this pokemon was young? And truly alone? And scared?

A loud sound outside spooked everyone into silence. Vitaly dropped to a crouch beside Pelor, ready to scoop the bug up and run if needed.  The topic of Pyrite was dropped, but Vitaly felt guilty that it was due to something potentially dangerous. Looker carefully approached a boarded window to peer through the gaps. After a few seconds, he reported, "Doesn't move like one of the dead, but I couldn't see much. It's a small pokemon. Brown. Might be a dog. I didn't get much of a look beyond that... but they looked like they were alone."

Drizzt had heard the sounds the creature made, but couldn't entirely place them. It sounded vaguely familiar, but in the "It's something he heard a few times a few years ago" way. It wasn't something immediately relevant, however, so he dropped the line of thought as he focused his ears on the outside. He confirmed in a quiet voice, "I don't hear anything else."

Looker took a moment to relay his observations. "Doesn't move like one of the dead, but I couldn't see much. It's a small pokemon. Brown. Might be a dog. I didn't get much of a look beyond that... but they looked like they were alone."

Stallion perked at the description and tossed his head a little, earning Giovanni's attention. The idea that there was some tiny pup rummaging around in the wreckage of the city wasn't too far-fetched. But seeing the horse's reaction... He held up a hand toward the great beast to try and still him, but paused as the creature's eyes studied the windows with... excitement? Even hope? Odd... "I don't hear anything else," came a comment beside him.

((forgive the short reply, writing on mobile is especially painful))

Miranda had been happily observing from the corner as the group recounted tales and memories from faraway lands. She herself had only been to two other regions, one of which where she met Giovanni, but it was hardly in the region's prime. In truth before the plague she had never set foot outside Kalos so it left her little in the way of contributing. Instead she kept herself quiet and busy patching up one of Giovanni's spare shirts so he could stop wearing the one with his blood soaked into it. Blood always did make for an easy way to track when they were trying to hide-

As if on cue a loud clatter interrupted her thoughts and the conversation of the men with her. Everyone froze, falling deathly silent as Looker went to the window to try and side eye what made the noise without giving away their own position. Miranda's air held in her chest tightly for fear of even breathing too loudly until he stepped back away and towards the group. "Doesn't move like one of the dead, but I couldn't see much. It's a small pokemon. Brown. Might be a dog. I didn't get much of a look beyond that... but they looked like they were alone."

"I don't hear anything else," Drizzt added which only made the teen nervous. Looking to Durandal who only waved the end of his sash as though to say 'go on' she finally let out her held breath in a small sigh. Please don't let them hate her for suggesting out of turn- "Um....Perhaps I could send one of my ghosts to check? François is particularly skilled at passing through walls and hiding in shadow, as we've seen. He could...check?"

"I don't hear anything else," came Drizzt's soft, somber voice.

Slight movement caught the corner of Looker's eye. It turned out to be Durandal, gently moving the end of his sash, gesturing towards a very anxious looking Miranda.

Taking the gesture as encouragement, she spoke, though haltingly. "Um....Perhaps I could send one of my ghosts to check? François is particularly skilled at passing through walls and hiding in shadow, as we've seen. He could...check?"

He gave her a smile, hoping to soothe her nerves. "That would be a great help, Miranda. If your friend is willing, I think we'd all appreciate the intel."

At the girl's agreement, her ghost friend slid through the wall and out, Looker sincerely hoping he would be fine. Miranda said he would be. He wanted to believe her, especially since François seemed like an intelligent young man and Miranda surely knew him better than Looker did.

But surviving in the epidemic didn't come without its scars. Looker found paranoia, or at least a certain amount of worry, was necessary to survival. It was with a jittery mind and an anxious heart that he watched the young ghost leave and wait for his return.

The street in the front of the shop was empty save for some trash. A tattered plastic bag blew by on the light breeze that ruffled the still-standing trees which lined the edges of the sidewalk. It was filthier than it was in its heyday, with shop windows smashed or boarded up and garbage cans tipped over or overflowing, but mercifully free of blood or gore or the stains left behind from either.

There was a scratching sound to the left of the door, around the corner, in the alleyway next to the shop. A very low whine followed, and upon investigation, François found...

A rockruff. A living rockruff, from the looks of him, and a little worse for the wear--thin, a bit ragged, but free of the telltale discoloration of infection. He scratched again at what looked to be a weakened part of the wall with a frown before laying his paw against it and pushing. Apparently there wasn't enough give to the wall because he snorted softly through his nose and turned to head deeper into the alleyway.

Movement out the corner of his eye caught Vitaly's attention, and he glanced towards it. The Aegislash gestured towards Miranda, who took that as a cue to speak. She quietly asked, "Um....Perhaps I could send one of my ghosts to check? François is particularly skilled at passing through walls and hiding in shadow, as we've seen. He could...check?"

Unease at forcing her Pokemon to go into danger returned, but Looker answered for them, "That would be a great help, Miranda. If your friend is willing, I think we'd all appreciate the intel." She released the Misdreavus, and he soon slipped out. All they could do was wait for their friend's return, but Vitaly kept listening for any signs of trouble. Just in case.

"Um....Perhaps I could send one of my ghosts to check? François is particularly skilled at passing through walls and hiding in shadow, as we've seen. He could...check?" Miss LeClair offered, earning a look of interest from Giovanni. A ghost was the best option in regards for reconnaissance, both for their safety and the pokemon's. Yes, there was always the chance of infection, but a creature that could turn invisible and slip in and out of solid objects had the least possibility of being turned. He gave a firm nod in her direction, proud of her suggestion. Yes, her ghosts were absolutely indispensable for scouting.

"That would be a great help, Miranda. If your friend is willing, I think we'd all appreciate the intel." Looker's voice brought Giovanni back to the present, as well as the insistent body language from the stallion beside him. It was so odd that the creature was excited over the news that there could be a puppy outside the window... Still though, he stayed silent and focused his attention on the sounds outside. He kept a hand on Scout's pokeball, just in case.

"That would be a great help, Miranda. If your friend is willing, I think we'd all appreciate the intel."

Miranda was beyond relieved that everyone not only appreciated her suggestion but Giovanni even seemed proud of her for it. It brought a slight flush to her cheeks as she found herself a little proud as well. It wasn't very often she got to be useful in her travels with Mr. Don, after all. Cradling François' ball she cringed only slightly when releasing it had the tell-tale sound of an active poke ball re-materializing its occupant and hoped the sound wouldn't draw attention. That high pitched hum was not something easily mistaken in such a quiet town devoid of Pokemon.

François looked around confused a moment wondering why he was suddenly back out in the world, especially since there didn't seem to be any immediate danger. If one didn't count the absolutely filthy state of the shop they were in. This poor boutique had certainly seen better days that was for sure. Looking to his precious Miranda the Misdreavus bowed slightly and offered her a charming smile. "Ah, ma petite fleur- You require assistance again, I assume?"

"If you wouldn't mind, François," Miranda whispered, holding a finger to her lips as she spoke to let the ghost know they needed to be quiet. "There is a Pokemon outside but we cannot see very well from in here. Would you be willing to check the alley for us and let us know if we are in any danger? Or if the Pokemon may risk drawing those awful men to us again?"

"Oui madame, this I can do. I will investigate this stranger to ensure no harm comes to my dear or her companions. Leave it to me." Before Miranda or anyone else could even tell him what to do once he found the Pokemon outside he was already phased into the wall, oblivious to any further instruction. His body shifted and melted into the shadows of the alley as he peered through them to gauge the scene below.

A ragged, possibly starving pup seemed to be pawing at the worn stones of the wall François was phased into. He seemed to be attempting to create a hole or an access into the wall before giving up with a weary huff and a snort before padding off further into the alley. The Misdreavus followed silently, the deeper sections of the alley offering him more free reign on locations to hide as he watched his target. However, true to his nature and his species, mischief crept into his mind and he decided to make his mission a little more...fun.

"You know-" his voice echoed softly in the alley, the thick french accent seeming to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once as each shadow held a part of him. "You are doing yourself no favors wandering around in the middle of the day, gamin. The people here, they are not so kind, no? At least not anymore. Perchance you would have better luck trying an actual door rather than traipsing around through filthy alleyways? Your coat is already in shambles, no need to make it worse digging through walls and muck."

((French is italicized for reference))

"You know-"

He jumped, scrambling to put his back to the wall and bare his teeth, but the latter was hard to do with no real indication about which direction he should be showing his teeth in. The voice, though soft enough, seemed to come from everywhere at once. "You are doing yourself no favors wandering around in the middle of the day, gamin. The people here, they are not so kind, no? At least not anymore. Perchance you would have better like trying an actual door rather than traipsing around through filthy alleyways? Your coat is already in shambles, no need to make it worse digging through walls and muck."

He growled at the unknown voice, eyes darting around- ghost? Probably a ghost? Maybe a dark-type? Something that did well in the dark, even better than him and his canine senses.

There was no smell. Almost definitely a ghost, then.

((Please skip me, Vitaly is just waiting for François to return.))

François eyed the small canine with rapt interest as he tried to decipher the ghost's whereabouts through sound and smell. He felt immediately at ease knowing the dog wasn't a natural ghost tracker like some others he had encountered before from trainers, back in his younger days. Still, the pup didn't seem particularly dangerous just yet. More defensive than anything else.

"What is your name, gamin?" François questioned sincerely, his voice still echoing like a distant whisper through the alley. "Are you friend, or foe? There is shelter very near to you if you prove you are not a danger. Or do you seek something? Something of importance, perhaps? You don't seem to be cowering or running from the humans I saw not long ago. Interesting..." François ' voice continued its wayward train of thought as he continued to puzzle aloud, finally fading out as he watched and waited for an answer. Why was the pup out in this alley? Why here, of all places? Surely coincidence was not so common in this new day and age. Of that alone he was sure.

"What is your name, gamin?"

The ghost didn't immediately attack him. Good...?

He couldn't tell yet.

"Are you friend, or foe? There is shelter very near to you if you prove you are not a danger. Or do you seek something?"

His eyes widened and he nodded, though forced his tail to stay still. It wasn't every day a stranger immediately made it easy to respond nonverbally, but still.

"Something of importance, perhaps?"

The nodding grew more frantic.

"You don't seem to be cowering or running from the humans I saw not long ago. Interesting..."

The humans. They seemed... all right. He didn't know what to make of them yet.

But they'd talked to his friend without hurting him and he went with them. Was it willing? Was it not? They hadn't pointed the explosion sticks at him but humans were bad; humans weren't to be trusted.

He didn't like them, but he was way more scared for his friend than he was scared of the humans.

He scraped up some of the dirt from the alleyway with a paw and slapped it against the side of the building, trying to smear it in the shape of a horse as best he could. Might as well hurry this along. There wasn't much to gain from keeping what he was looking for from the ghost if the ghost could actually help him get inside.

He had paws, not hands. It was messy. But maybe recognizable as a horse. He finished smearing the tail into place and tapped it, then pointed with a jerk of his head at the building.

((Skip, still waiting))

François watched the small canine nod to each of his questions as enthusiastically as any verbal response. It was a little curious why he didn't make a sound but perhaps, if he had been living in or near the city long enough, he had long since learned to stay quiet when humans were around. After all no one wanted to die in filthy alley, did they? François certainly did not.

After a certain point the pup stopped responding and began scratching at the dirt and wall again. With a sigh the ghost type was about to point out the futility of digging into walls again when he noticed a...shape? taking form on the stone. Deciding to risk it the Misdreavus slipped out of the shadows and into a visible form once again, floating down beside the other Pokemon with a flip of his wispy, hair-like tendrils. The art was crude, at best, but not completely unrecognizable as a shape. It was some kind of four-legged creature with wild looking hair not unlike his own when annoyed. "A...horse?" he asked with a hint of confusion before the tumblers in his mind all slid into place.

"Ah! Of course! You seek the stallion! Oh dear me, you should have said so earlier and spared us all the fright. Is he a friend of yours? Doesn't speak much either, that one, but seems friendly enough. My Flower's guardian has taken quite a liking to him and has been tending his wounds. You aren't looking to cause trouble, are you?"

The fact that he couldn't see the ghost was unnerving. He had nowhere to look while he waited to see if he understood or not, and no way to judge whether or not he was getting it.

But, thankfully, the ghost's voice came, albiet a bit confused at first. "A... horse?"

A brief pause.

"Ah! Of course! You seek the stallion!"

Oh thank god.

"Oh dear me, you should have said so earlier and spared us all the fright."

He frowned, but said nothing, sitting down.

"Is he a friend of yours? Doesn't speak much either, that one, but seems friendly enough. My Flower's guardian has taken quite a liking to him and has been tending his wounds. You aren't looking to cause trouble, are you?"

He nodded to answer the question, unsure of what to make about that last bit. But he really couldn't do anything on his own here barring finding a way inside- and even then there was no plan beyond that.

No path from here felt safe. And now that he'd been seen... well, trying to run away or slip inside felt fultile anyway.

((Skip, same as before))

Letting out a soft sigh as his new companion remained as stalwartly silent as ever François shrugged his non-existent shoulders in defeat. At least the canine answered the questions with subtle nods of his head so at least he had affirmation the other Pokemon didn't intend to pose a threat to his Flower or her companions. Legends save him if the pup was lying-

"Very well then, gamin, I shall help you." Floating up from the ground François peered around the corner of the alley and frowned at the ever present sunlight. It was so much nicer here in the darkened alleyway but unlike himself the pup couldn't pass through walls so they had little choice but to use the door. "Wait here and count to thirty. If the coast is still clear go to the door and you will be let in. Do not tarry as the passage will not be left open long, we cannot draw attention to ourselves. And remember, you are not to endanger anyone inside. Deal?"

After waiting for another nod from his new companion François melted back into the walls of the shop and quickly informed Miranda of the need to unlock the door. He didn't bother explaining beyond saying there was another Pokemon who needed help outside and, as he knew would be the case, Miranda trusted him implicitly so didn't pry. Jumping to her feet the young woman ushered quickly to the door and waited for François to give the signal before unlocking and pulling it open as subtly and quietly as possible, just far enough for something small and brown to nudge its way inside. Once it had cleared the door she closed it once more and reset the lock and barricades with a relieved sigh.

Looking behind her at their newest addition she smiled brightly as she saw a small, scruffy puppy-like Pokemon. Giving no thought to the possible danger since François had vouched for the canine she offered him a warm smile and knelt down to the ground to bring herself more to his level as she spoke. "Oh-! Hello there. I know I've seen one before but I can't quite recall your species' name... Another Alolan, I believe? Do you need any help?"