Late in the morning a man in a hooded robe left his Rapidash out the tavern, entered with a fairly attractive female servant and an Umbreon, and took a seat. The servant went to the counter and bought two cups of tea then, when she got to the table, pulled out a knife and cut two large slices out of a Pecha berry, putting one in each of the glasses, and giving the 3/4 of a berry that was left to the Umbreon.

He had been traveling in cognito for three days, but soon his allies would arrive to meet him here and they would begin their quest to save the kingdom from the Johto invaders. Hopefully they didn't blow his cover, and pretended to be merchants as the letter had requested. They could go elsewhere to discuss the mission in more detail, but this near to captured territory it was too dangerous to discuss such things in public.

The man didn't have much of a plan for how they could accomplish this. Obviously they would need to either weaken their enemy or bring in allies. The first possibility meant either sabotaging them or stopping reinforcements. The second possibility would likely best be accomplished by traveling to the three Legendary Lords and asking for their support. They usually didn't get involved in human affairs, but this new invention, Apriballs, was a threat to them and their people, and may be enough to convince them to join. Of course, they would want proof of this danger, which meant acquiring one of these balls. Easier said than done, considering that it was protected military technology.

He sipped his pecha tea and waited for the first of his new team to arrive.

Chiyome had left sometime in the night, not speaking a word to anyone. She wondered if any of her fellow soldiers would wonder where she went, or if anyone would worry for her. Truth be told, she wasn’t too confident in her qualifications for the task ahead of her. She’d never seen true war in the way that it was occurring now. She’d only been in the military for a year, and certainly lacked the experience of her comrades.

So then...why her?

Chiyome had packed what few things she’d been told to bring, as per the letter. What worried her was that she’d been specifically told to bring her weapon. Chiyome’s prized naginata never left her side-not even when she slept-but the knowledge that she would need it frightened her. Strapping her bag to her side and hopping on her Skarmory, Chiyome rode off in the night with her Scizor and Marowak with her.

She’d travelled for a few days, stopping occasionally to restock on supplies and asking locals about the state of the war. She so rarely got to travel these days; besides, maybe it would lower suspicion of her. When Chiyome finally arrived at the tavern (after checking 3 times to make sure it was the right place), she stepped inside, caution at the front of her mind. Her Skarmory was tied outside, but her Scizor and Marowak followed their trainer into the tavern.

Chiyome wore basic civilian attire; she was supposed to be a merchant, after all. Her naginata was still strapped to her back, but her armor was tucked away in her bag. She felt somehow anxious without it. Glancing around, Chiyome searched for the man she was here to meet: Prince Teal. She’d only seen him in passing around the castle; the thought of meeting him here and now made her nervous beyond belief. Her letter had stated that she was here to protect him, even at the cost of her life. She wasn’t eager to see it come to that, but she knew she would do it if she had to. Finally spotting him through the crowd of patrons, Chiyome made her way over to him, trying to remain inconspicuous.

”Um, hello...sir,” Chiyome mumbled, still trying to keep their cover up. ”I was...told to meet you here.”

He cocked his head behind the mask and watched the girl walk into the building. Into there? He absently scratched at the ground with his bare toes, while Yukiko slunk in behind him. Hitoko, the third member of their group, nodded and padded closer. She barked, once at the door to confirm that it was the right place, and then at the skarmory trying to peck at her. He abandoned the crouch he had on the side of the road and ran up, a hand on Hitoko's neck to calm her, and a clucking screech to the skarmory to tell it to back off. It spread its wings in a threat display, showing off its sharp feathers. Daiki held out his cloak and stared it down, forcing it to acknowledge he was the bigger bird. When it lowered its head, he 'pecked' at it by darting his head forwards.

Calling Yukiko with a bark, he made his way in with the two ninetales flanking him. Who was he supposed to meet here? The rafters were full of pidgeys, with a hoothoot in the back, and he could smell the large growlithe sleeping behind the bar. None of them could write, or even smart enough to communicate. Daiki unfolded the letter again, pulling it from his bag. He frowned at it until he realised he was holding it upside down, then turned it over. Something about merchants and stealth. Well, Daiki knew the latter, but what was the point of being a merchant when he could walk through the grass and trees just as simply as the road. The road was more crowded anyway. Too many people who didn't listen.

He held the letter up for Yukiko and Hitoko to look at, and they shook their heads as well. Of course. If he didn't understand half of this twisty, loopy script, how would they? Why did people even write like this? He crumpled the paper up and started asking questions. Not of the loud raucous humans. Instead he asked the pokemon. Most of the people had common pokemon, shocked that a person could even hear them. One psychic type, an abra sleeping in its owner's baggage, knew what Daiki was looking for, and pointed him to a table in the back. He noticed the scizor and marowak first, and cautioned Hitoko to play nice. Scyther could be skittish around her, and scizor no doubt more so. He pushed the mask up onto the top of his head and nodded to the marowak, coughing out a greeting. The scizor was more tricky. The human voice simply wasn't equipped for their cries, so he made two fists and smacked them together. The umbreon was easier. They were very like his ninetales.

That done, he looked at the humans at the table. The girl he'd encountered, obviously she belonged to the marowak and scizor. The man in the cloak belonged to the umbreon, who had made it abundantly clear. The other woman didn't seem to belong to anyone, though the umbreon spoke for her. "Prince." He recognised the umbreon, so he recognised the man. he didn't know the others, and he couldn't just ask them who they were. Ah well, humans enjoyed talking. They'd explain everything eventually. He pulled three rawst berries out of his pack, at Yukiko's urging. She got one, Hitoko the other, and he bit into the third, enjoying the bitter taste. He preferred the sweeter tang of the sitrus, but he didn't have any.

Kanto. From the distance it looked lovely. But Hemlock knew better. From the deck of a warship, he could look across the distance and see without a doubt the indulgence that had led to such a weak nation. They didn't have the weight of the world on their shoulders. No, it was destiny for the prince who had to carry all of time on his shoulders. In a way, Hemlock pitied them. After all, they didn't know the way the world was heading, and how they were just hurting themselves in the long run. So, he just had to win the war before they wasted their lives.

Hemlock's hands dug into the metal framework of his vessel, as if he was throttling the neck of a royal. His crew, all hand picked, milled around the top deck, waiting in the mean time for their leader to give direction. Since they weren't part of the main crew, they operated independently directly under Hemlock's orders. The main fleet though, with all their egos could never match what Hemlock could do. Inspire loyalty.
"Bee?" The soft trill of Celebi broke the illusion, and Hemlock looked to his side. There, Celebi had returned. Several soldiers stopped what they were doing, looking at the strange legendary pokemon who obeyed the prince. Some had been there on that day, five years ago when Celebi had arrived on the deck of the ship. Outside the Unova region. How often many had talked about it. How instead of seeking Celebi, the creature had come to the prince, begging to serve.
"It's been two days, I suspect you got the letter." Hemlock said, looking to the green skinned pokemon, who nodded in affirmation. In its small hands, it held a letter, marked with the royal seal. Hemlock's royal seal. The letter was easy to open, and the prince smiled. "It seems the war is going to end early." He whispered, mostly to himself. "The royal prince of Kanto is currently occupying a tavern called..." He bit his lip, stifling laughter. "The Erect Diglett!" His grin was more than enough to let the troops listening in to know this was their cue to laugh.
"I never imagined the people of Kanto to have such a... Perverse sense of humor. But I guess that's to be expected from such a simple land." He folded the paper, tucking it away into his clothing. "The Erect Diglett's coordinates are not too far from the ocean. In truth it'd be less than a day on foot. By air, less than an hour."

Hemlock turned to look at Celebi who floated by his side. "Are you sure this is wise, Hemlock? You only have ten flying pokemon on board. If any are injured, it w-"
"Four is more than enough. After all, they won't be expecting us. we'll have the advantage either way." Hemlock said, looking to the talking pokemon. "Now, don't worry."
"I always worry. You know how important it is to the future that you become king."
"Of course. You told me so many times before. Now, be ready to follow. The invasion begins soon." Hemlock's cloak bellowed behind him, and he felt alive. Ready... For his return to power.

Emerging from the hull of the ship, Diana walked onto the top deck. Her eyes blinked in response to the bright sunlight. She supposed that Kanto did have nice weather this time of year. In fact, she could see all the way to the mainland, even from here. Diana found it quite beautiful, actually. Looking at the ocean behind her, she realized how far from home she was. The thought was exciting, if a bit scary. But now wasn’t the time to get anxious.

She had a job to do.

She searched for Prince Hemlock, before spotting him at the bow of the ship, speaking to Celebi. Despite her affinity for Psychic-type Pokemon, that Celebi somehow unnerved her. Foretelling of doom if they failed here. Before she’d set out with the Prince on this journey, Diana did some research into Celebi. Time travel was a complicated subject matter; yet Celebi had somehow perfected it. Furthermore, it rarely interfered in human affairs, which made its presence here all the more telling.

Diana approached the Prince, intending to inquire into their course of action once they reached land. She overheard the end of his conversation with Celebi, and paused. Did he truly intend to strike now? That was a bold move. A risky one. Diana thought about the logistics of such a thing; if they were truly less than an hour by flight, it meant that the prince of Kanto was just outside captured territory. That might mean a lot of guards nearby. But if they could get in and out fast enough, with a small force? That could work, given the element of surprise was with them. Besides, the only guards that would be near a tavern were likely dribking themselves to death.

”Milord,” Diana spoke, finally approaching the Prince. ”Forgive me, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. What exactly did you have in mind for this strike on the Prince? It’s safe to assume he won’t be alone.”

"Ah, yes." said Teal, still pretending to be a rich merchant. "I was hoping our mutual associate had gotten the message to you. You look familiar. Were you by any chance with the caravan that went with my Aunt to Lavender a year ago?" His father's brother's wife had went on a pilgrimage to an all-female monastery outside of Lavender almost four seasons ago, and had taken only female guards and Pokemon with her to avoid offending the Nuns and Priestesses that were there. He knew he had seen her guarding somewhere. Maybe his sister Scarlett's 13th birthday party, where she also requested all female guards?

A new man arrived at the table, and he nodded to the man. "Good, the pokemon expert has arrived." By the fact that he seemed to prefer talking to pokemon, it was obvious that he spent a lot of time around them. "Would either of you, or your pokemon, like something to eat or drink?" Peach stood up, waited for their orders, then took the two now empty tea glasses to the bar to be refilled. The Prince always drank hot Pecha tea when thinking, and she could tell that a strategy session, though encoded, was about to happen. Upon returning she offered the others Pecha berries as well, should they want some, and prepared hers and her master's drinks the same way she had upon his arrival.

"Good, now that things are ready we can speak business." He spoke in a normal voice, one that was hard to hear from more than a few feet away in a busy lunchtime tavern, but didn't whisper, as hushed conversations drew curious ears. "This Invasion has opened up key business opportunities. The way I see it, we have two opportunities. An army travels on its stomach, so if we were to control the supply lines bringing them food, we could profit greatly. We should also try and acquire some of these Apriballs I've heard of their troops using. Understanding how they work could open up new markets. If nothing else, people could turn dangerous foes into harmless pets. Though, I'm not sure how the pokemon feel about this. That's why I asked you to come." he nodded to "expert". "Also, if you feel we need more capital to put our plan into action, I know some noble investors..." he put three fingers out, hoping they'd realize who he was talking about, on the table, then closed his fist. "Who I believe would like to aid us in this business venture."

@Harmony3812@Regitnui

Chiyome gave Prince Teal a small, polite smile. Ordinarily she would have adopted a deep bow-a sign of respect-but this was supposed to be a "business meeting". And so, Chiyome simply took her seat, with Nakami (her Scizor) standing on her right and Kotsu (her Marowak) standing on her left; the two had been trained to do so, as a defensive precaution.

"I was hoping our mutual associate had gotten the message to you. You look familiar. Were you by any chance with the caravan that went with my Aunt to Lavender a year ago?"

Chiyome smiled again and nodded, before speaking with a bit more confidence. "Yes, I was. Nakami and I were with the caravan for...propriety's sake," she answered, gesturing to her Scizor. The Prince's aunt had requested only female guards and Pokemon, after all. "I also accompanied your sister to a business meeting to celebrate a special occasion." Princess Scarlett's birthday party...she remembered spending most of the time entertaining young children of nobility with little spins and flips of her naginata. Chiyome was surprised that the Prince recognized her; he spent so much time meeting people, after all. It at least made the introductions a little bit easier, though.

At that thought, another man approached the table. Chiyome noted the two Ninetales he had with him, and hoped Nakami didn't feel too anxious about the fire-typed one. That's what Kotsu was for, anyway. Chiyome couldn't help but size him up out of habit; if anything, he didn't seem to be from...well, anywhere. He had a mask on that reminded her of the Ninetales he was accompanied by. His feet were bare, which implied he might either be very poor or very uncivilized. And the way he spoke to Pokemon...he seemed quite comfortable with them. The Prince's acknowledgement of him as a Pokemon "expert" cemented that fact in Chiyome's mind; she was here to guard the Prince, but what was he here for? "Hello there. It's very nice to meet you," Chiyome said, trying to sound formal yet friendly. He seemed to be decent enough, if a bit eccentric. The King chose him for a reason, surely it was a good reason. They couldn't afford to take many risks here.

"Would either of you, or your pokemon, like something to eat or drink?"

Chiyome thought for a second; she was always particularly fond of Oran Berry tea. Kotsu preferred Chesto Berries for food, while Nakami was also fond of Oran Berries. "Oran Berry tea for me would be lovely. Could my Pokemon get Oran and Chesto berries?" Chiyome always found the Prince's nearly-human servant to be somewhat unsettling. Unless you knew, you could never tell that she was actually a Ditto. She had to wonder, where did the Ditto get its human form from? Was it a real person, or was it simply based off the Prince's specifications? Perhaps the Ditto had preferences? Even more surprising was its skill with a sword. Chiyome had never sparred with Peach, but she'd heard that she could be quite fearsome. When Peach returned, Chiyome thanked her and set the two plates in front of her Pokemon, before taking a sip of her tea. The taste was as pleasant as always, she found, though she missed the tea from the palace just a bit. But homesickness was not her priority; it was time to talk business.

As Chiyome listened to the Prince's words, she realized he was giving them options rather than orders. That was...unexpected. On the one hand, she was worried that they'd come so close to enemy territory without a concrete plan of action. After all, the enemy could be heading their way at that very moment and they'd have no way of knowing. But on the other hand, Chiyome found some relief in actually choosing for once. Sure, she was allowed to order around some lower-ranked guards at the palace, but she was still relatively new. And the Prince's "opportunities" were good. The merchant speech was a bit dense, but she knew it was a necessity. Chiyome weighed their two possible moves in her head; those three "investors" he spoke of...did he mean Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres? The three Legendary Lords almost never interfered in human affairs. Chiyome was certain that they'd lived through many wars before, what was this one to them now? And yet, the Apriballs she'd heard so much about...those might change their minds. But like he said, they would need to actually acquire some Apriballs to prove their point. New military technology is not so easily obtained. They would either need to somehow sneak into enemy territory and steal some, or actually get involved in a skirmish of some sort and take them off a fallen Johtoan. Both of those were risky.

Then there was his other proposal: sabotaging them. Chiyome knew how important food supply was to a traveling group of soldiers, much less an entire army's worth. If they could somehow sabotage their food supply, the Kanto army could possibly starve them out. It might not even have to be food at all; if they could halt the influx of weapons, armor, money even, it would give them a serious chance. But then, that was much easier said than done, and came with the same risks as stealing the Apriballs. They were a tiny group of three, and one of them was "precious cargo", to put it into merchants' terms. They could sabotage an incoming caravan of food without much fuss, but anything more than a few guards would give them trouble. That would also require actual knowledge of travel routes, locations, supply value, and travel schedule. That might mean scouting would have to take place, which is difficult enough even without an ongoing war.

And yet...

The second option at least didn't leave things up to chance. Even with the Apriballs as proof, there was no way to know for sure if the Legendary Lords would actually help them. And all the time it would take to get the Apriballs, and travel to meet the three Lords would be costly. Every day was just another day for Johto to plan its next strike; could they truly afford to spend so much time on chance? Chiyome did think that getting their hands on a few Apriballs was a good idea; maybe they could somehow reverse engineer the technology, or at least create more of an understanding of how they worked. But the Legendary Lords seemed more like a last resort option to her. Sabotaging their army seemed much more feasible to her, and less likely to require tackling big groups of enemy soldiers. Taking down supply caravans, eliminating enemy messengers and falsifying documents, perhaps conducting small hit-and-run operations to give the main army force an opening...all concrete options. And like the Prince said, their food supply was critical. That could be their first target. If she had a few days, she might be able to take Sora and fly out beyond the front lines. Or, this fellow they had with them seemed like the kind of person who could be good at stealthier operations. He could certainly do the same thing.

"Well, sir, I agree with the sentiment that profiting off the food supply lines would be greatly beneficial to us. I know from experience how critical those supply lines are to traveling groups, especially with hungry Pokemon to feed. Taking those supply lines might...wear them out enough to give into our more persistent offers." Speaking in code like this was a bit difficult, but Chiyome did her best. "I also agree that we need to get our hands on those Apriballs. We don't quite understand how they work, but I'm sure we could figure it out if we were to acquire a few. However, those investors...I'm unsure that we should rely on them at this moment in time. Investment proposals can go either way, and we're on a bit of a time constraint. I feel that we should focus on the food supply first and go from there."

@TheUnknowable @Regitnui

The prince turned his attention to Diana, spotting her only when she spoke. He smiled, because after all Diana was a sign of how great the empire of Johto was. Coming from a heritage almost as great as his own, Diana had led many a battle, and had proven herself as a strategist. In truth, ht was always amused by her nature. So calm, and collected. In a way he was jealous of that. But... How much had she heard? It didn't matter, but part of him was making an internal note to be careful about speaking in public. Again. Celebi took a seat on the railing of the ship, watching the prince carefully. The time traveler didn't speak much to anybody that wasn't Hemlock. Not that it didn't trust others, but because Hemlock was the only person it needed for the time being. Fixing the timeline came first.

"Ah, Diana." He held out his hands, as if aiming to embrace her, but he didn't step any closer, and took a step back if she tried to. "Well, I have a few plans to be honest." He looked to the troops, who were already bringing in a group of four pidgeottos. "I'll leave the choice up to you, alright?" He smiled, and held up three fingers. "One, we attack. The element of surprise will allow us to take the prince easily. The second option may be more your style. We infiltrate the tavern as travelers, watching for the prince, and capturing him when he leaves. The third... We pretend to be Kanto mercenaries, who want to help the prince. He'll naturally be in disguise, this close to our territory. He'll be needing allies of course, and may be more than willing to hire a mercenary." Hemlock ticked down each, by dropping a finger. "Now, all three have benefits. The Prince of Kanto will be desperate you see. He'll be needing allies, since his army will be focused entirely on my brother's forces to the south." Hemlock said the words 'my brother' with pure spite. His gaze drifting back to the see.

Prince Yew and Hemlock were not friends. Most of the royalty weren't. Their father's idea of finding the right heir was always to place his children one against the other. It was always a challenge, always a fight, and Hemlock's status had always been challenged. The other brothers had formed alliances to defeat him, and while they all failed, it made Hemlock's childhood very lonely. His allies though came in generals, and members of the court. Individuals like Diana were his power, not his siblings or some tender hope of being king. "Once you are ready, we shall leave." He reached onto his belt, an apriball marked with the skull of an ancient pokemon. His own personal touch to each. From it formed Famine, his aerodactyl. "We shall land a distance from the tavern, and then go the rest by foot." Hemlock smiled, and looked Diana in the eyes for one last thing to say. "And do make a good choice. This is very important to me."

Daiki studied the Prince's silent servant. He'd heard of some ditto faking their way into human families. Some of the less tolerant court youngsters had even openly teased him with the possibility of his mother being a ditto. His father had assured Daiki his mother was a princess from islands across the sea, but he'd forbidden his son from ever going to look. Daiki felt ambivalent towards the Johto invasion. If they did conquer the whole region, he could go looking for his mother.

"The three don't care. Nor do their lord. We're all just jabbering mankeys to them. Human problem, human fix." Daiki shuffled his mask back over his face, as if embarrassed by the length of the sentence. Instead, he reached down and scratched Hitoko, which cued Yukiko to nudge his other hand. They disliked one getting more attention than the other. He wanted one of the apriballs too, if only to figure out if they hurt pokemon. His first instinct was to try destroy any he found, but human brains were good for thinking. He had to think before deciding.

Diana was never one for physical affection, except for when it was required as a formality. So when Prince Hemlock held out his hands as if to embrace her, Diana felt unsure of what to do; she doubted he actually meant to embrace her at all, and so she did not move in response. When the prince spoke further about their plans, Diana's demeanor faltered a bit when he told her the choice would be left to her. Yes, she was a strategist, but she hadn't exactly agreed to such a risky maneuver quite yet. But this momentary sense of panic was nigh unnoticeable; this was the prince, and showing any sign of weakness in front of him would not be in her favor. In truth, even she would scold herself for showing any hesitation or fear. This was unexpected, yes, but not frightening. Diana straightened her posture before speaking: "What did you have in mind, milord?"

Diana's eyes narrowed, as if she was concentrating. In truth, she was; in her head, Diana carefully weighed the prince's words, considering the possible results of each plan that he proposed. The first option: a full-frontal assault. She'd already considered the pros and cons of such a thing, and had indeed decided it was possible. But when she turned to look at the four Pidgeottos-and realized that would be all they had-she decided to reconsider. Four Pidgeottos is a small force, yes, but perhaps a bit too small. Flying-type Pokemon such as Pidgeotto were vulnerable to archers-such as herself-and could be easily knocked out of the sky with a well-placed projectile. And if they wanted to get their force in and out, they would require all four Pidgeottos to be in good condition to fly. A full-on assault in enemy territory is...incompatible with such a requirement. Personally, Diana was fonder of more...covert strikes. As such, she ruled out the first option as a possibility.

Then came the prince's second option, infiltrating the tavern as travelers. This one suited Diana a bit more as she contemplated Hemlock's proposal. Would it be that difficult to fly just past the front lines, put their Pidgeottos into Apriballs, and walk into town as if they were Kantonian travelers? With the war going on, surely the locals-and the guards-wouldn't pay them much attention if they dressed as civilians. The tavern wasn't far, and surely they would go unnoticed inside. Prince Teal's allies are unlikely to be wary of being followed, given the manner in which Hemlock obtained knowledge of their location. They would think their meeting was entirely secret, known only to them. Perhaps they could wait for prince Teal to leave the tavern and travel to a less populated area of town? Or better yet, follow him outside of town? He might feel safer traveling with his allies, after all. Even if he traveled by air, the Pidgeottos would be ready. Diana decided she liked this option very much.

Then the prince proposed his third option: acting as allies to the prince. Diana frowned as she thought about it; wouldn't he be wary of a group of strangers who just so happened to offer him help? After all, he was supposed to be at the tavern in secret. A group of "mercenaries" knowing you're secretly royalty would likely make him suspicious, and that was the last thing they wanted when they were attempting to be incognito. In addition, any mercenaries willing to aid their home country would likely have already pledged themselves to the main military force for a cash reward; the existence of free agents in wartime is...unlikely. Yes, the prince would need allies, but that course of action wouldn't work at this point in prince Teal's plan. If it were simply one "mercenary", or the prince's plans were more publicly known, then perhaps. But at this moment in time, it would seem too suspicious to him and his allies. So, Diana ruled that option out in her head, choosing to settle for prince Hemlock's second plan.

"I...quite like your second plan, milord," Diana said after a few moments of silence. "The prince isn't going to be wary of being followed, since he believes his meeting at the tavern to be known only to him and his allies. Wartime is chaotic, and a group of travelers in a tavern isn't anything remarkable. We would go unnoticed," she explained. "Your first plan could work in theory, but with such a small flying force, the risk is too great if you are to accompany us. The third...I doubt prince Teal would easily trust a group of mercenaries who so suddenly and willingly offer their services to him, especially given his desire to conceal his identity. After all, wouldn't his father have hired mercenaries for him to begin with instead of sending out covert messages to agents of his choosing? Infiltrating the tavern is safer, especially if we conceal our Apriballs. We can wait for him to leave, perhaps follow him into a less populated part of town? It's also possible that he leaves town entirely, which would be even more beneficial to us, as we could attack him away from any pesky guards or civilians."

Prince Teal was a bit shocked when Daiki essentially told the entire tavern that he was discussing the possibility of asking the three Legendary Lords for help. It was widely known that they rarely involved themselves in human affair, but would at least meet with high ranking nobles and Trainers, as both groups had responsibilities to Pokemon outside of the territory of the three. That may have blown his cover, so he did his best to maintain his composure and move the meeting to somewhere where they could speak more freely.

"I suppose you two are right. My investors would only be interested in helping us if we can acquire an Apriball and certain things about the technology happen to be true." Namely, that they hurt, or could be used to kidnap pokemon. If they were only a convenient was to carry loyal pokemon with you, the three wouldn't be that interested, though Kanto itself may find them useful. If they were some sort of kidnap or torture device, however, the Three would gladly help to stop the use of the technology.

"Well, now that we are refreshed, I suggest that we be on our way. If we wish to assess the Johto army's supply situation, I believe our best bet would be Fuchsia City. I have heard that they use it as a supply port for bringing in supplies from their home land. Their could be much profit in those supplies going through us, however." He stood up and motioned to Peach and Fuji to follow him. Once they were on the road, they would be able to talk more openly. He wasn't sure how well they could travel together with one of them walking, one flying, and him riding, but in the beginning they could walk and talk, and the aerial surveillance would help make sure he and the Expert weren't walking into a trap.

@Harmony3812@Regitnui

Chiyome's eyes widened as Daiki basically announced their plans out loud, and had to restrain herself from smacking him across the face right then and there. "This is supposed to be private," she hissed under her breath, before looking around to see if anyone had heard. Nobody was paying any attention to them, so perhaps they got lucky. Chiyome sighed before turning her attention back to Prince Teal. She had to keep her composure, or somebody would start paying attention to them. The Prince seemed unperturbed despite Daiki almost blowing their cover; perhaps it was something he'd learned to do over time. She felt relieved that the Prince agreed with them, at least, given the situation they were in. Now wasn't the time to turn to the three Lords, not until things got a lot more serious. Still, Chiyome made a note to try and grab an Apriball if she ever got the chance. They just might need it at some point.

Chiyome listened carefully to the Prince's next words, nodding in agreement when he suggested that they leave. She figured that staying in one place for too long would be risky, and risk was not something they could afford to have. Though, she did wonder just how they would go about traveling, given that she usually traveled by flight with Sora. The Prince had his Rapidash, but it appeared that the "Pokemon expert" traveled mostly on foot. Sora usually had to carry Nakami and Kotsu as well as Chiyome herself, and Chiyome did not want to have to be slowed down by traveling on foot. She'd be happy to scout ahead on Sora before they went anywhere, but they could probably figure out the logistics of traveling later. For now, they should try to get out of town as quickly and quietly as possible.

"Yes, we should head to Fuchsia City as soon as possible. Having a monopoly on the Johtoan supply line will be of great benefit to us," Chiyome said before standing up out of her chair. "Kotsu, Nakami, we'll be on our way." Chiyome was grateful for the fact that, at least right now, they wouldn't have to worry too much about being followed. Not even the messengers were allowed to read the correspondences that they deliver, given the sensitivity of the information. And the existence of this meeting was definitely sensitive information. This eased Chiyome's paranoia somewhat, but she knew that once they actually started interfering with the Johtoan invasion, they would all need to be on the lookout. The Prince would easily be captured and hauled across the sea as a prisoner if they weren't careful enough. And given that she was assigned to prevent exactly that, the pressure was...almost overwhelming. After all, her failure would likely mean the downfall of her entire kingdom. She shrugged her fear off, deciding that the best way to ease that fear was to do her job well. After all, she didn't have much choice.

The prince smiled the short distance to Diana, and watched with clear interest on how the gears turned in her head. She may not approve of this strategy, but in truth if they waited to long they'd risk losing the prince's scent. Time was a finicky matter, and receiving a message from the future meant he had to act soon. The prince turned to one of the guards, who approached with a set of traveling cloaks, and masks. Of course there would be masks. If the kanto soldiers knew exactly who was chasing them that could be a danger, or they could warn others. Or worse, they could be spotted by one of the soldiers from Johto. That would put Prince Yew on the trail of Prince Teal... They couldn't have that. This was Hemlock's hunt. Taking the first cloak, and the mask of Lugia, the legendary pokemon who ruled over Johto. One day... He'd own more than just a mask in the visage of the legendary guardian. The other masks on offer were of Ho-Ho, clearly for Diana, and the three soldiers joining them would be using the legendary dog trio.

"Excellent choice." Hemlock said, once Diana had made her choice. In truth, he only ever planned to use that plan. The offerings may very well have just been a test. Maybe... She could have chosen any of them and he'd still think of it as going according to some kind of plan. Somedays he wasn't entirely sure what he was thinking. Celebi once said that it was because he was always trying to think 4th dimensionally. The fourth dimension being time. "Diana, I know you have your reservations about this kind of strategy, but if we take too long, than Prince Teal will be out of my grip. And, my future self will lose his scent." This was the important part. The future was an ever malleable mess, and unless he operated in a very specific manner he may just end up losing it. "We leave now. He leapt onto Famine, the aerodactyl hissing as the human's weight rested on its mounted back. "Diana, you will go to ground with one other soldier, and I shall be in the sky alongside the other two. We'll be utilizing the cloud-line to hide us, and we'll be waiting for your signal." He turned to the other soldier, who luckily possessed a fire pokemon capable of creating a make-shift flare that could be seen from above. This operation would rely entirely on the element of surprise. By going into the cloudline, they were avoiding detection from any surveillance, and if they had two on the ground, it'd be easier to write off as mere travelers.

Taking into the sky, it wouldn't be too long of a trip. Diana would most likely be flying alongside them, for the first part of the plan of course. Pidgeottos were known for their legendary speed, and most of all, this operation worked best as a get in and go out. And if that failed, even being able to identify Prince Teal and his troops would be infinitely useful in the long run if the short run wasn't an option.

"Diana... I want you to know, I have faith in your abilities." Hemlock said, only looking ahead. Aerodactyl managed to keep pace with the bird pokemon, though it was clear the others had to move just a tad slower for his sake. "You see, the reason I am coming with you on this, is because I need to see this prince with my own two eyes. It is the only way I can absolutely assure the future is safe." In the distance, the town was coming into sight, and the Prince felt his heart race. Here. Here was were he would become king again. "Follow the plan. Don't draw attention until you're ready. The prince will be operating with a great deal of pokemon out in the open, since they don't have the ability to store them like we do."

Diana indulged in a smile at prince Hemlock's praise. It was the best option they had, anyway. She was still hesitant about rushing in so soon, but the prince had a point; they could very easily lose sight of where prince Teal was if they took too long. Having such...intimate knowledge of his whereabouts should not go to waste. If only they had more time...then perhaps she might feel a bit safer about all this. "Of course, milord. Time is on our side right now," she said, glancing at Celebi. "We should take advantage of it while we can." Diana wasn't sure how reliable that Celebi would be in terms of helping them achieve their goal. Of course, they'd gotten this far, but how long until the Kantonians catch on to their game? Surely they would question how they were found so quickly. Then again, Diana doubted that they would assume time travel was being used against them.

Diana nodded as prince Hemlock gave his orders, deciding that his plan seemed as sound as could be, given the situation. Staying hidden above the cloud-line would be a good idea, given that his Aerodactyl wasn't exactly...common around these parts. It wasn't common around any parts, come to think of it. The sight of such a beast might not work in their favor; best keep it hidden until it was necessary. Taking the Ho-Oh mask from one of the soldiers, Diana momentarily studied it, admiring the legendary Pokemon's visage. She decided the mask quite suited her, before approaching one of the four Pidgeottos they would be using. Diana gently stroked the Pokemon's neck, before climbing on top of it. The Pidgeotto let out a caw, adjusting to carrying her weight, before spreading out its wings in preparation for flight. Once the group of Johtoans took off, they all fell into a line, with Diana flying to the prince's right. As the wind zipped by her ears, Diana found it a bit difficult to make out his words, but she could understand him clearly enough.

His kind words sent a shiver up her spine. His belief in her...once again, she smiled. Was it the recognition? She wasn't sure. "Thank you, milord. Your praise means much to me." As they soared above the open ocean, Diana wondered just why prince Hemlock would risk so much by coming with them. Thankfully, he explained it to her; she supposed that his reasoning made enough sense. After all, this mission could very easily go wrong for them; in fact, Diana half-expected it to. But if prince Hemlock could just catch a glimpse of prince Teal, it would serve them greatly. It would confirm that Celebi was capable of acting almost as reconnaissance for them, which would cement the Pokemon as a key part of their strategy. They would also be able to gain information about his allies, as they didn't know much about them just yet. And given that Kantonians don't have Apriballs, they would also figure out what Pokemon they could expect to run into in the future, if they did indeed fail. Diana nodded again as prince Hemlock elaborated on his plans, deciding that even if they did fail, this would be well worth it to them.

Daiki got to his feet just as the Prince and the woman did, Hitoko and Yukiko falling in next to him. However, Yukiko darted ahead, blocking him from moving forward. "What?" He asked, crouching down. A flicked ear, nose pointing towards the door, and a recoiling as if stung. Danger. The sort of danger that made strange sounds. Adrenaline shot through Daiki's system, and he grabbed the Prince and Chiyome before they could leave. Hitoko had acted even faster, and now stood between the two humans and the door. "Danger. Back door." Daiki told them, pulling them behind him, towards safety, while Hitoko retreated carefully so that other humans could leave. He didn't care about them. He was supposed to keep the Prince safe, and walking out the front door would be walking into an unknown situation. Unknown situations mean pain or death.

Mask over his face, Daiki growled in his throat. He hated stealthy opponents. It made him look like the fool when he saw them coming before all chaos broke loose. All enemies should just charge in, screaming, with swords bared and partners attacking. That way he could be the stealthy one and attack them. While he was making stuff up, it'd be nice if the evil ones had silly goatees and stupid grins. Hitoko had taken up a position close to the door, which Yukiko mirrored. Daiki himself untied his bokken, holding it one-handed while he waved for the Prince to move. He couldn't take his eyes off the door. From how tense his partners were, whatever had put them on edge was close by, and getting closer.

At the warning of his one of his bodyguards Teal turned and headed for the kitchen. This establishment had an extra door back there for the employees. "Fuji. Peach." he said, getting his pokemon's attention. He stepped behind the counter, despite the protests of the bartender and grabbed the man's sheathed sword that was propped behind the bar, throwing the sheathed weapon to Peach. "Sorry about that." he said before the man could order his pokemon to attack the thief, and flipped him a gold coin, about a day's wage. With Peach taking the lead with her new sword tucked into her belt and Fuji behind her, he followed them out the back of the tavern and whistled for Barley. It shouldn't take him long to run to the back of the building so that they could flee.