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Description
Raindrops pattered throughout Mossy Village, but the members of Team Steamroll didn't mind. The café's leafy marquee caught any drops the forest canopy didn't, allowing the three Pokémon to enjoy their drinks with the soft rhythm of rainfall in the background.

"And then I said, 'Oatmeal? Are you crazy?'" Liz paused in her story to take a sip of Persim Fizz. "That Blitzle was like 'I don't serve pancakes to rude customers, so oatmeal's all you're gonna get.' So I headbutt the jackass straight in his stupid face." She thrust her head forward as a demonstration.

Manny had heard this story before. It was a good one, but he was afraid that finding it funny might be immoral. He settled on raising the left side of his mouth one millimeter.

He took a peek at Drip, who was perched atop a tall barstool in raindrop form, and smiled for real. The young Castform's mouth hung open, eyes nearly twice as large as usual. Liz raised her glass with a nod to Drip, no doubt assuming he was enthralled by her masterful storytelling. This was not the case.

"You brutally assaulted a simple vendor?" Drip rose from his seat, drifting forward as he stared her down. "How could you even begin to justify such a horrible act? I should have known a Scraggy would have no respect for-"

"Whoa, whoa!" Liz lowered her arms in an attempt to calm him down. "Whoa. Don't trash my whole species, now. That's just wrong."

Drip continued to steam, literally, as vapor wafted up from his cloudlike body.

"Alright, look." Liz took another sip before speaking. "Yeah, I hit the breakfast guy. But I was just expressing my disapproval of an unfair business practice, y'know? You can't give a poor girl oatmeal just because she made fun of you a little."

Slowly, Drip seated himself, shrinking to his normal, compact size. "I guess I can see what you're saying." His cloud body extended, dipping into his cup of water. Manny heard a slurping noise.

Liz stretched her scaly, yellow arms, resting them behind her head. "Hitting's just how I deal with stuff. That's why I'm supposed to be in the Rogues' Guild right now. They do what's right, even when people tell them not to."

Manny knew it would be a waste of time, but he tried all the same. "Are you sure? Every time we've seen the Rogues, they've been doing bad things. Usually, to us."

"Well, yeah!" She waved a hand. "That's why we need to get the transfer done, already. So we can set a good example. The whole reason we're out here is to join the Rogues' Guild, Manny." Her mouth curled into a sarcastic smile. "You didn't forget, did you?"

"Oh, about that." Drip withdrew his body from the glass. "Didn't you say you were from far away?"

"Yep. Really far away." She frowned at the thought. "The walk was just awful."

Even though I carried you most of the way, thought Manny.

Drip looked around at the faces of his teammates. "Why'd you come all the way out here, then?"

"Good question." Liz was quiet for a time, drawing circles in the table with her pointer finger. "It's been a while, but yeah. I remember. I bet you do too, Manny."

Manny nodded. He did remember.

"You want to hear it? Why we came to Tao?" Liz's question to Drip sounded cheerful enough, but she wasn't smiling.

The Castform didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. "Yes, please. I'm curious."

"All right, then." With a quick motion, she chugged the last of her drink and set the glass down with a thunk. "Here goes."

~~~~~

BLOOD MONEY: DOOMSDAY
Chapter 1

~~~~~
7:00 AM
~~~~~

A few stray beams of light made their way through the small opening near the cave roof. Time to get up.

Slowly and steadily, Manny lifted himself from his bed of gravel, stretching his legs and shaking a few chips of stone from his armor. Today was going to be a good day.

He tromped down the hallway into the central cave, where his Rhydon parents were already working. His mother tended the hearth in the middle of the room, and his father chipped away at one of the walls.

His breakfast waited for him by the fire, the usual assortment of roasted roots. He grabbed one in his jaws and crunched it up.

"Remember to chew thoroughly," his mother chided.

Manny swallowed. "Yes ma'am. Today is errands day, right?"

She wearily looked up from the fire. "Yes, Manfred."

He tried to suppress a smile as he grabbed another root. His mother watched him with a sour expression. "You have been spending too much time near that horrid girl. Why do you not join your peers in the Circle, instead?"

Manny kept his gaze on his breakfast. "I'm sorry."

"Your father and I will be having a talk with you about your activities. You are nearly an adult in the eyes of Lord Giygas, and it is time you..."

Her son's attention had already drifted into the future. As soon as morning worship was over, he would be able to run errands. He decided to save the Corona for last, as motivation to get everything done quickly.

Father stepped away from his work, brushing rock dust from his horn. "Once we are all ready," he declared in his deep, authoritative voice, "We shall join our brothers and sisters in the Circle. Do not delay."

Manny wondered whether he said the same thing every day. Maybe he used different words from time to time?

He hurried to chew the rest of the roots, to better meet his father's request.

"Remember to chew thoroughly," his mother reminded him.

He swallowed. "I'm sorry."

~~~~~
7:30 AM
~~~~~

"...and may we each provide the foundation of the world to come."

Manny stood in between his parents in the Circle, trying not to tap his claws. Normally he would follow along with the sermon, respectfully, but today was special.

The Circle was what the people of the valley called their daily gathering. Each morning, the community formed a ring in the valley's most picturesque clearing, as the pastor led them in their worship of the Earthmover, Lord Giygas.

Manny felt his mother elbow him in his side, and he tried once again to stay focused.
The Piloswine pastor, known as Pastor Ferrous, stood in the center of the circle. "Let each of us remember we are but pebbles against the battering stream of time, and that we may yet find peace as part of the Lord's Mountain. We must each strive to remain strong and resolute, unyielding in the face of adversity, each of us a testament to the might of our Lord."

Strong. Manny knew he was strong. He could handle anything. Just like Superhaunter could.

He looked from side to side. Was it sacrilege to think of comic books during the sermon? He suspected it was. With renewed effort, Manny closed his eyes and lost himself in the solemn voice of the pastor.

"Our lives are fleeting. Only in dedication to strength may we gain permanence as the foundation for our Lord. For He is our rock."

~~~~~
9:00 AM
~~~~~

Sermon concluded, the members of the congregation dispersed, going about their business.
Manny's father turned to him. "It is time for your errands. You will find the list of groceries in the cart. You have until noon."

He knew. Every week, his father said the same thing, more or less. With a short nod and a "yes, sir," Manny made his way out of the valley.

He stopped to greet a passing Roggenrolla. "Hello, Gregory."

"Hello, Manfred." Gregory's eardrum hummed. "You seem in high spirits."

"Yeah." Manny smiled. "I've been looking forward to today for a while."

"Hmm?" Gregory buzzed. "What is the special occasion?"

"Oh, it's..." He'd spoken without thinking. "Well, you know."

"Ah." Thrum, thrum. "It is unfortunate that you prefer the company of... others... to the members of the Circle."

"Hey." Manny cast about for something to say, feeling as though he should stick up for his friend. "Liz is all right."

"I'm sure, I'm sure." He hesitated. "You are always welcome at our gatherings, please remember that."

"I know." His cheer was beginning to slip. "Thanks for the offer."

He hurried away. Why was it, he wondered, that talking to his neighbors could make him feel so bad?

Description
Raindrops pattered throughout Mossy Village, but the members of Team Steamroll didn't mind. The café's leafy marquee caught any drops the forest canopy didn't, allowing the three Pokémon to enjoy their drinks with the soft rhythm of rainfall in the background.

"And then I said, 'Oatmeal? Are you crazy?'" Liz paused in her story to take a sip of Persim Fizz. "That Blitzle was like 'I don't serve pancakes to rude customers, so oatmeal's all you're gonna get.' So I headbutt the jackass straight in his stupid face." She thrust her head forward as a demonstration.

Manny had heard this story before. It was a good one, but he was afraid that finding it funny might be immoral. He settled on raising the left side of his mouth one millimeter.

He took a peek at Drip, who was perched atop a tall barstool in raindrop form, and smiled for real. The young Castform's mouth hung open, eyes nearly twice as large as usual. Liz raised her glass with a nod to Drip, no doubt assuming he was enthralled by her masterful storytelling. This was not the case.

"You brutally assaulted a simple vendor?" Drip rose from his seat, drifting forward as he stared her down. "How could you even begin to justify such a horrible act? I should have known a Scraggy would have no respect for-"

"Whoa, whoa!" Liz lowered her arms in an attempt to calm him down. "Whoa. Don't trash my whole species, now. That's just wrong."

Drip continued to steam, literally, as vapor wafted up from his cloudlike body.

"Alright, look." Liz took another sip before speaking. "Yeah, I hit the breakfast guy. But I was just expressing my disapproval of an unfair business practice, y'know? You can't give a poor girl oatmeal just because she made fun of you a little."

Slowly, Drip seated himself, shrinking to his normal, compact size. "I guess I can see what you're saying." His cloud body extended, dipping into his cup of water. Manny heard a slurping noise.

Liz stretched her scaly, yellow arms, resting them behind her head. "Hitting's just how I deal with stuff. That's why I'm supposed to be in the Rogues' Guild right now. They do what's right, even when people tell them not to."

Manny knew it would be a waste of time, but he tried all the same. "Are you sure? Every time we've seen the Rogues, they've been doing bad things. Usually, to us."

"Well, yeah!" She waved a hand. "That's why we need to get the transfer done, already. So we can set a good example. The whole reason we're out here is to join the Rogues' Guild, Manny." Her mouth curled into a sarcastic smile. "You didn't forget, did you?"

"Oh, about that." Drip withdrew his body from the glass. "Didn't you say you were from far away?"

"Yep. Really far away." She frowned at the thought. "The walk was just awful."

Even though I carried you most of the way, thought Manny.

Drip looked around at the faces of his teammates. "Why'd you come all the way out here, then?"

"Good question." Liz was quiet for a time, drawing circles in the table with her pointer finger. "It's been a while, but yeah. I remember. I bet you do too, Manny."

Manny nodded. He did remember.

"You want to hear it? Why we came to Tao?" Liz's question to Drip sounded cheerful enough, but she wasn't smiling.

The Castform didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. "Yes, please. I'm curious."

"All right, then." With a quick motion, she chugged the last of her drink and set the glass down with a thunk. "Here goes."

~~~~~

BLOOD MONEY: DOOMSDAY
Chapter 1

~~~~~
7:00 AM
~~~~~

A few stray beams of light made their way through the small opening near the cave roof. Time to get up.

Slowly and steadily, Manny lifted himself from his bed of gravel, stretching his legs and shaking a few chips of stone from his armor. Today was going to be a good day.

He tromped down the hallway into the central cave, where his Rhydon parents were already working. His mother tended the hearth in the middle of the room, and his father chipped away at one of the walls.

His breakfast waited for him by the fire, the usual assortment of roasted roots. He grabbed one in his jaws and crunched it up.

"Remember to chew thoroughly," his mother chided.

Manny swallowed. "Yes ma'am. Today is errands day, right?"

She wearily looked up from the fire. "Yes, Manfred."

He tried to suppress a smile as he grabbed another root. His mother watched him with a sour expression. "You have been spending too much time near that horrid girl. Why do you not join your peers in the Circle, instead?"

Manny kept his gaze on his breakfast. "I'm sorry."

"Your father and I will be having a talk with you about your activities. You are nearly an adult in the eyes of Lord Giygas, and it is time you..."

Her son's attention had already drifted into the future. As soon as morning worship was over, he would be able to run errands. He decided to save the Corona for last, as motivation to get everything done quickly.

Father stepped away from his work, brushing rock dust from his horn. "Once we are all ready," he declared in his deep, authoritative voice, "We shall join our brothers and sisters in the Circle. Do not delay."

Manny wondered whether he said the same thing every day. Maybe he used different words from time to time?

He hurried to chew the rest of the roots, to better meet his father's request.

"Remember to chew thoroughly," his mother reminded him.

He swallowed. "I'm sorry."

~~~~~
7:30 AM
~~~~~

"...and may we each provide the foundation of the world to come."

Manny stood in between his parents in the Circle, trying not to tap his claws. Normally he would follow along with the sermon, respectfully, but today was special.

The Circle was what the people of the valley called their daily gathering. Each morning, the community formed a ring in the valley's most picturesque clearing, as the pastor led them in their worship of the Earthmover, Lord Giygas.

Manny felt his mother elbow him in his side, and he tried once again to stay focused.
The Piloswine pastor, known as Pastor Ferrous, stood in the center of the circle. "Let each of us remember we are but pebbles against the battering stream of time, and that we may yet find peace as part of the Lord's Mountain. We must each strive to remain strong and resolute, unyielding in the face of adversity, each of us a testament to the might of our Lord."

Strong. Manny knew he was strong. He could handle anything. Just like Superhaunter could.

He looked from side to side. Was it sacrilege to think of comic books during the sermon? He suspected it was. With renewed effort, Manny closed his eyes and lost himself in the solemn voice of the pastor.

"Our lives are fleeting. Only in dedication to strength may we gain permanence as the foundation for our Lord. For He is our rock."

~~~~~
9:00 AM
~~~~~

Sermon concluded, the members of the congregation dispersed, going about their business.
Manny's father turned to him. "It is time for your errands. You will find the list of groceries in the cart. You have until noon."

He knew. Every week, his father said the same thing, more or less. With a short nod and a "yes, sir," Manny made his way out of the valley.

He stopped to greet a passing Roggenrolla. "Hello, Gregory."

"Hello, Manfred." Gregory's eardrum hummed. "You seem in high spirits."

"Yeah." Manny smiled. "I've been looking forward to today for a while."

"Hmm?" Gregory buzzed. "What is the special occasion?"

"Oh, it's..." He'd spoken without thinking. "Well, you know."

"Ah." Thrum, thrum. "It is unfortunate that you prefer the company of... others... to the members of the Circle."

"Hey." Manny cast about for something to say, feeling as though he should stick up for his friend. "Liz is all right."

"I'm sure, I'm sure." He hesitated. "You are always welcome at our gatherings, please remember that."

"I know." His cheer was beginning to slip. "Thanks for the offer."

He hurried away. Why was it, he wondered, that talking to his neighbors could make him feel so bad?