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Description
Jake and Sarah didn't take long in meeting up with Oliver in the Coop and letting him know about their mission. The morning air was ripe with fresh autumn coolness, and tinted with the soft glow of the rising sun. Much of the greenery was already taking on its palette of reds, yellows, and browns to truly signify the coming of the colder months, but at least it wasn't at a point where it was unbearably cold yet. Much to their dismay though, Dagger, Haze, and Fade were unable to enjoy any of this as they were tucked away in their pokeballs while Jake and Sarah rode atop of Ace the Staraptor. Both of them felt a bit awkward and embarrassed by this not only because they had only had solo missions before, but also by how close they were while riding on Ace's back. Sarah had her arms locked around Jake as he held onto Ace's plumage, pushing together to keep from falling off the side.

'Haze would never let me live this down,' Jake thought as he felt his face heat up when Sarah tightened her grip around him against a strong headwind.

Much of their tension slowly eased away though as they decided to talk to get to know one another better in the meantime. Like Sarah had said before, her father owned the Poffin shop in Hearthrome city where she grew up. Her mother was a stay at home mom who raised her and her two sisters. Sarah was the oldest of the three and also helped care for her siblings whenever she could. She also recounted how her family also bred some pokemon, Luxray included, and that's how she ended up getting to know Fade as her partner. Ever since getting him as her first pokemon, Sarah had been able to communicate with pokemon. She couldn't tell how, but it was a lot more fun to be able to talk to her friend on a much deeper level than before.

"Wow, so how did you end up with the PEF then?" Jake pressed eagerly.

"Well, Fade and I sometimes helped run the Poffin shop while my father went out to do some errands. One day, a Team Sigma grunt came in and demanded that I hand over our family's secret poffin recipes. I refused and he tried to steal it. Luckily, Fade was there to help me defend the shop, but the Team Sigma grunt still had some powerful pokemon with him.

"Just before we lost, a member of the PEF came in and stopped the grunt. He was able to chase the Team Sigma grunt off after defeating him, but his pokemon, a Tyrogue, had been wounded pretty badly. Even with the potions and berries the PEF member had brought along, the wound was still fatal. Though you remember that secret recipe I mentioned that the grunt tried to steal?"

Jake nodded, his thoughts trying to tune into any hope after hearing about what happened to the lone PEF member's Tyrogue.

"That recipe was for a super healing poffin mix that had been passed down through my family for a generation. Traditional poffins are meant to raise a pokemon's attributes and be a tasty treat, but the ones my family before me had been making were made to heal and strengthen any pokemon you feed it to. Though it's still incredibly difficult to make, and one small mistake in the mixture can endanger the pokemon it's fed to with deadly side effects. Luckily, my father taught me the recipe and I know it by heart now which I made and gave the PEF member's pokemon just in time. You wouldn't believe how grateful he was for me in saving his Tyrogue, but I told him that it was the least I could do after coming to help against that Team Sigma grunt.

"After going through an ordeal like that that day, I wanted to do whatever I could to help against those Team Sigma brutes. So I ended up asking that PEF member if there was any way I could join and he put in a good word for my application."

Jake could just make out Sarah's far off gaze over his shoulder as remained lost in her thoughts.

"I have to admit, the training was really hard but I don't regret joining if it means I can help protect my home against those underhanded crooks…That's about it for me anyways; so about you, Jake, how did you get into the PEF?"

Jake recounted his tale of how he came to join the PEF, Sarah being equally amazed in his story as he was in her's.

"…Nothin' much else other than that," Jake concluded with when Dagger joined his team.

"You and your pokemon sound really strong, Jake. Though, I don't know about you, but I'm still a little scared by what Dakota told us about this mission," Sarah said, tensing her arms around Jake, "I'm just glad neither of us have to do this alone though."

Jake nodded in agreement; feeling comforted in knowing there was someone as caring as Sarah there to watch his back.

"Sounds like you two are ready," Ace called cheerily, "We're just about a few minutes out of Celestic Town, can you two see it?"

Jake and Sarah carefully leaned over Ace's back to look below. Flying over Route 210 gave no surprise of the ever present cover it was known for, but there was definitely something off as they approached their destination. Usually the fog would begin to dissipate the closer someone would get to Mt. Coronet as the air currents changed from that point on. Though as the PEF members came closer to Celestic Town, the fog continued its rolling haze making the community look much more eerie than it was known for. Ace brought the two PEF members down just outside the little town on the western side as it was much easier to spot a place to land.

"I'm sorry Swift couldn't bring you here instead," Ace said as he allowed Jake and Sarah to climb off, "She could have used Defog to clear away this mist to make it easier."

Sarah patted the Staraptor's side soothingly, "It's okay, and at least it's not so bad that we can't see."

"Ok, you two stay safe and watch each other's backs."

Both Jake and Sarah nodded before Ace took off, flying back in the direction of the HQ to take on another assignment.

"Right," Jake pulled his two pokeballs off his belt, "We better let the others out to know we're here. I know Haze is probably just about ready to break herself out soon."

Sarah giggled at the remark and brought Fade's pokeball out from her belt. The three pokemon emerged in a shower of light, all of them leering to get going after being confined for so long.

"Mmmm, I hate being in that thing," Haze grumbled overexageratedly stretched.

"What's the matter," Fade smirked, "Can't go five minutes without complaining about something?"

"I can agree with that," Dagger said.

Haze bristled at the two, throwing dangerous glares in their directions.

Jake sighed, "Alright, let's focus on the mission here. Dakota said that the locals have become withdrawn from outsiders. Let's go and see if we can talk to someone and find out why."

They all agreed, Haze giving one last glare toward Dagger and Fade, and headed toward the western town entrance. It was only about a few yards away till they got to the entrance, but the fog became thicker with each step they took. The film of moisture made it impossible to see the other side of the town and eastern entrance, though there was a more immediate concern at hand. The town itself was eerily quiet even for a town as small as Celestic.

"Can anyone say ghost town," Fade said.

They took each step into town carefully, everyone feeling a slight chill as if the town wasn't actually deserted, but they were being watched very carefully. The hut like houses around them didn't even so much as creak as small gust of winds passed by.

"Where is everybody?" Sarah asked, slightly unnerved by the chilling silence.

"We could just go to one of the houses and- Ow!"

Jake was cut off as a rock found its mark on the side of his head.

Everyone else shifted into their battle stances, the sudden sneak attack catching them off guard. Just what they needed, a Team Sigma ambush. When they rounded their gaze to the source of the danger, a collective gasp of surprise escaped them all. It wasn't a dangerous pokemon or even a Team Sigma threat, but a small boy wielding an arm full of rocks he probably just picked up off the ground. He looked like he was no older than 9 or 10, but his expression showed an intense concentration of hostility and anger. He picked another stone out from the armful a with his free hand and whipped it as hard as he could at the PEF members. Jake was prepared this time and easily dodged the small projectile.

"Get out of here, you aren't welcome in our town!" the youngster screamed as he hurled one rock after another.

"Woah, hold on there kid," Jake yelled back

"Please, we're not here to hurt anyone," Sarah tried to plead.

The little kid took no interest in what they were saying and continued to pelt them with rocks and threats to go away.

Fade stepped forward and growled, "Quit throwing rocks at my partner, you little runt!"

The little boy didn't understand what the Luxray said, but the intimidating glare and angry growls still made him flinch. Suddenly, a woman emerged from one of the houses.

"Samuel!"

The woman, presumably the boy's mother, sprinted out to snatch her son up and bolted back inside the house she had come. Jake caught a final glimpse of the mother with the screaming boy in her arms before she slammed the door shut. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he caught her expression showing a mixture between hate and fear before disappearing behind her door.

"What the heck was that about?!" Haze asked no one in particular.

Jake rubbed the back of his head where he got hit, making sure he wasn't bleeding, "I have no idea."

"I think we should go see that woman," Sarah suggested, "Maybe she knows what's going on, and we should at least let them know we mean them no harm."

"Hold it right there!" A new voice came from behind.

IT was an elderly woman that stopped the PEF members this time, and behind her stood a menacing hulk of a Magmortar.

The elderly woman kept up her dangerous tone as she spoke, "I am willing to give you one chance to leave, or Brutus here will be forced to make you leave."

Brutus, the Magmortar, took his place in front of the elderly woman, ready to battle.

Brutus raised one of his arm cannons threateningly and spoke in a gruff voice, "You heard my master. Leave before you do something you'll regret."

Description
Jake and Sarah didn't take long in meeting up with Oliver in the Coop and letting him know about their mission. The morning air was ripe with fresh autumn coolness, and tinted with the soft glow of the rising sun. Much of the greenery was already taking on its palette of reds, yellows, and browns to truly signify the coming of the colder months, but at least it wasn't at a point where it was unbearably cold yet. Much to their dismay though, Dagger, Haze, and Fade were unable to enjoy any of this as they were tucked away in their pokeballs while Jake and Sarah rode atop of Ace the Staraptor. Both of them felt a bit awkward and embarrassed by this not only because they had only had solo missions before, but also by how close they were while riding on Ace's back. Sarah had her arms locked around Jake as he held onto Ace's plumage, pushing together to keep from falling off the side.

'Haze would never let me live this down,' Jake thought as he felt his face heat up when Sarah tightened her grip around him against a strong headwind.

Much of their tension slowly eased away though as they decided to talk to get to know one another better in the meantime. Like Sarah had said before, her father owned the Poffin shop in Hearthrome city where she grew up. Her mother was a stay at home mom who raised her and her two sisters. Sarah was the oldest of the three and also helped care for her siblings whenever she could. She also recounted how her family also bred some pokemon, Luxray included, and that's how she ended up getting to know Fade as her partner. Ever since getting him as her first pokemon, Sarah had been able to communicate with pokemon. She couldn't tell how, but it was a lot more fun to be able to talk to her friend on a much deeper level than before.

"Wow, so how did you end up with the PEF then?" Jake pressed eagerly.

"Well, Fade and I sometimes helped run the Poffin shop while my father went out to do some errands. One day, a Team Sigma grunt came in and demanded that I hand over our family's secret poffin recipes. I refused and he tried to steal it. Luckily, Fade was there to help me defend the shop, but the Team Sigma grunt still had some powerful pokemon with him.

"Just before we lost, a member of the PEF came in and stopped the grunt. He was able to chase the Team Sigma grunt off after defeating him, but his pokemon, a Tyrogue, had been wounded pretty badly. Even with the potions and berries the PEF member had brought along, the wound was still fatal. Though you remember that secret recipe I mentioned that the grunt tried to steal?"

Jake nodded, his thoughts trying to tune into any hope after hearing about what happened to the lone PEF member's Tyrogue.

"That recipe was for a super healing poffin mix that had been passed down through my family for a generation. Traditional poffins are meant to raise a pokemon's attributes and be a tasty treat, but the ones my family before me had been making were made to heal and strengthen any pokemon you feed it to. Though it's still incredibly difficult to make, and one small mistake in the mixture can endanger the pokemon it's fed to with deadly side effects. Luckily, my father taught me the recipe and I know it by heart now which I made and gave the PEF member's pokemon just in time. You wouldn't believe how grateful he was for me in saving his Tyrogue, but I told him that it was the least I could do after coming to help against that Team Sigma grunt.

"After going through an ordeal like that that day, I wanted to do whatever I could to help against those Team Sigma brutes. So I ended up asking that PEF member if there was any way I could join and he put in a good word for my application."

Jake could just make out Sarah's far off gaze over his shoulder as remained lost in her thoughts.

"I have to admit, the training was really hard but I don't regret joining if it means I can help protect my home against those underhanded crooks…That's about it for me anyways; so about you, Jake, how did you get into the PEF?"

Jake recounted his tale of how he came to join the PEF, Sarah being equally amazed in his story as he was in her's.

"…Nothin' much else other than that," Jake concluded with when Dagger joined his team.

"You and your pokemon sound really strong, Jake. Though, I don't know about you, but I'm still a little scared by what Dakota told us about this mission," Sarah said, tensing her arms around Jake, "I'm just glad neither of us have to do this alone though."

Jake nodded in agreement; feeling comforted in knowing there was someone as caring as Sarah there to watch his back.

"Sounds like you two are ready," Ace called cheerily, "We're just about a few minutes out of Celestic Town, can you two see it?"

Jake and Sarah carefully leaned over Ace's back to look below. Flying over Route 210 gave no surprise of the ever present cover it was known for, but there was definitely something off as they approached their destination. Usually the fog would begin to dissipate the closer someone would get to Mt. Coronet as the air currents changed from that point on. Though as the PEF members came closer to Celestic Town, the fog continued its rolling haze making the community look much more eerie than it was known for. Ace brought the two PEF members down just outside the little town on the western side as it was much easier to spot a place to land.

"I'm sorry Swift couldn't bring you here instead," Ace said as he allowed Jake and Sarah to climb off, "She could have used Defog to clear away this mist to make it easier."

Sarah patted the Staraptor's side soothingly, "It's okay, and at least it's not so bad that we can't see."

"Ok, you two stay safe and watch each other's backs."

Both Jake and Sarah nodded before Ace took off, flying back in the direction of the HQ to take on another assignment.

"Right," Jake pulled his two pokeballs off his belt, "We better let the others out to know we're here. I know Haze is probably just about ready to break herself out soon."

Sarah giggled at the remark and brought Fade's pokeball out from her belt. The three pokemon emerged in a shower of light, all of them leering to get going after being confined for so long.

"Mmmm, I hate being in that thing," Haze grumbled overexageratedly stretched.

"What's the matter," Fade smirked, "Can't go five minutes without complaining about something?"

"I can agree with that," Dagger said.

Haze bristled at the two, throwing dangerous glares in their directions.

Jake sighed, "Alright, let's focus on the mission here. Dakota said that the locals have become withdrawn from outsiders. Let's go and see if we can talk to someone and find out why."

They all agreed, Haze giving one last glare toward Dagger and Fade, and headed toward the western town entrance. It was only about a few yards away till they got to the entrance, but the fog became thicker with each step they took. The film of moisture made it impossible to see the other side of the town and eastern entrance, though there was a more immediate concern at hand. The town itself was eerily quiet even for a town as small as Celestic.

"Can anyone say ghost town," Fade said.

They took each step into town carefully, everyone feeling a slight chill as if the town wasn't actually deserted, but they were being watched very carefully. The hut like houses around them didn't even so much as creak as small gust of winds passed by.

"Where is everybody?" Sarah asked, slightly unnerved by the chilling silence.

"We could just go to one of the houses and- Ow!"

Jake was cut off as a rock found its mark on the side of his head.

Everyone else shifted into their battle stances, the sudden sneak attack catching them off guard. Just what they needed, a Team Sigma ambush. When they rounded their gaze to the source of the danger, a collective gasp of surprise escaped them all. It wasn't a dangerous pokemon or even a Team Sigma threat, but a small boy wielding an arm full of rocks he probably just picked up off the ground. He looked like he was no older than 9 or 10, but his expression showed an intense concentration of hostility and anger. He picked another stone out from the armful a with his free hand and whipped it as hard as he could at the PEF members. Jake was prepared this time and easily dodged the small projectile.

"Get out of here, you aren't welcome in our town!" the youngster screamed as he hurled one rock after another.

"Woah, hold on there kid," Jake yelled back

"Please, we're not here to hurt anyone," Sarah tried to plead.

The little kid took no interest in what they were saying and continued to pelt them with rocks and threats to go away.

Fade stepped forward and growled, "Quit throwing rocks at my partner, you little runt!"

The little boy didn't understand what the Luxray said, but the intimidating glare and angry growls still made him flinch. Suddenly, a woman emerged from one of the houses.

"Samuel!"

The woman, presumably the boy's mother, sprinted out to snatch her son up and bolted back inside the house she had come. Jake caught a final glimpse of the mother with the screaming boy in her arms before she slammed the door shut. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he caught her expression showing a mixture between hate and fear before disappearing behind her door.

"What the heck was that about?!" Haze asked no one in particular.

Jake rubbed the back of his head where he got hit, making sure he wasn't bleeding, "I have no idea."

"I think we should go see that woman," Sarah suggested, "Maybe she knows what's going on, and we should at least let them know we mean them no harm."

"Hold it right there!" A new voice came from behind.

IT was an elderly woman that stopped the PEF members this time, and behind her stood a menacing hulk of a Magmortar.

The elderly woman kept up her dangerous tone as she spoke, "I am willing to give you one chance to leave, or Brutus here will be forced to make you leave."

Brutus, the Magmortar, took his place in front of the elderly woman, ready to battle.

Brutus raised one of his arm cannons threateningly and spoke in a gruff voice, "You heard my master. Leave before you do something you'll regret."