The door we went through leads to the inn's stable, where Margery quickly makes her way to her cart and Roscoe. Beams of light shine through the cracks in the stable's walls. A layer of straw covers the dirt clod floor as columns of packed and bound hay create walls for the separate mounts staying in the stable. It smells like a combination of mud and equine, something I'm not accustomed to despite my time travels.

Roscoe is detached from Margery's cart as he's comfortably curled up in a corner where the stable wall and hay bales meet. He appears to be snoozing with his eyes closed, as he doesn't react to Margery shuffling towards her precious cargo.

"Hmm...it should be in here somewhere..." Margery mutters as she rummages under the tarp covering her cart. I'm more surprised she can see so well in the limited light. After a few seconds, her eyes widen with a eureka. She produces a small leather pouch that makes a distinct sound of metal clinking with other metal.

"A merchant is nothing without her assets...monetary or non-monetary," she explains to me, shaking the bag ostensibly in the air. She shoves in quickly into what seems to be an inside pocket of her overcoat. With a nod and a wink, she gives me a thumbs-up.

"So we're off?" I guess. I say it quizzically, but inside I feel more curiosity than cynicism. What exactly are we going to do? Where are we doing it? How?

"Yep! You'll get to experience the reason why I do what I do firsthand. It'll be great," she says to me, pulling out a square piece of sepia-hued cloth from her outside jacket pocket. "Trust me."

Margery pulls her hair up and ties it back utilizing her cloth to pull it back. She dusts herself off, rubbing each of her arms and her thighs. She then takes a deep breath and...

...hacks two coughs from the putrid odor of the stable. She wipes her face with her sleeve and proceeds out into the settlement. I follow suit—save for the coughing.

When the two of us both finally step foot into Mahogany Town, I begin to feel the actual essence of the town. I don't know why, but the town has an unmistakable suspicious air to it. It's quiet and relaxed, even the main street with all the shops being less bustling than I recall from the day before. Did we miss a special day yesterday or something?

The stalls are an array of colors and patterns, with cloth tarps shading the wooden desks from the sun above. The desks display a selection of products ranging from what I can identify as berries, gems, stones, and any other necessities for Pokémon. I also spot that the stalls also offer a stock of various practical items from rope (probably used for escaping), victuals, fabrics in many forms, and herbal medication to name a few. Residents of all shapes and sizes either man the stalls or purchase from them, ranging from what I assume are Mahogany residents to travelers like Margery. It's something I've never seen before: many people buying, selling, trading products in such clean transactions. From what I knew, most Pokémon drive hard bargains (including a certain one from Sinnoh with domain over time itself).

"Hey, Margery, do you wanna check out the stalls over th—" I start, but realize Margery isn't next to me like she was right before my absorption of the beholding scene before me.

As I look over in a direction, I see Margery confidently bounding towards a shop in the near distance. With her chest puffed out and strides longer than I remember, I can only guess it was her initial destination.

"Yes! Just the place I was looking for!" she announces to herself as I watch her walk in. I approach the building in caution. From observation alone, the shop itself seems to have the same suspicious aura that the rest of the town has—almost as if it's the origin. Faded paint coats the wooden structure, with an awning jutting out a few feet and a solitary window at the storefront. A tree stands tall on one side of the shop while the tall door doesn't feel as inviting as it should be. A young girl sits outside the shop, peering through the dirty window that's next to the door. I spot a small, faded sign next to the door.

"Just a Souvenir Shop. Nothing Suspicious about It. No Need to Be Alarmed." I read aloud. Well, if that isn't suspicious, I don't know what is. There is only one thing to do.

I zip right to Margery's side, where I realize she's already inside the store. I allow myself in, as the front door is open, hopefully for business.

"Took you long enough," Margery quips, "Rule number eight, remember? Never make a lady wait." She waves her hand, motioning me to come to her. I step towards her as I gaze at the inventory in front of me. A multitude of different products line shelf after shelf along all walls throughout the room. It's as if every single available inch of the wall is providing the shop inventory space.

"Well, hello! How can I help you?" a man announces, appearing out of nowhere. With dark shades and receding brown hair, he appears to be the store's owner. Though he looks out of shape to be one.

"Wonderful! Simply wonderful!" Margery suddenly announces. I look over at her, confused out of my mind. Both her arms are in the air as if she's praising the sun itself. She spins around in place with a look on her face in awe.

"The selection! The range of products! The inventory! The available wares! Spectacular!" she announces. I glance over at the shop's owner, who grins and nods in gleeful agreement.

"Wait..." I realize, "aren't those all the exact same thing?"

"Little details like that don't matter, Renault! Just look at this store! I knew my intuition was spot on when I walked up to this place," Margery grins, elbowing me playfully in the shoulder that causes me to lose my balance. If there's some sort of merchant magic that transcends my knowledge of past, present, and future, then Margery piques my interest.

"Hoho! So you're an experienced customer! By all means Miss, feel free to implore on any of my wares. Some of them are on sale, and even more of them have an interesting story that comes along with them!" the shopkeeper beams. He nods furiously, which makes a subtle jingling. I momentarily look and spot some sort of emblem, a golden circle with four spokes surrounding a textured inlaid gold oval, hanging on a necklace around his neck. I don't recognize it from my time travels. Could it be some sort of symbol of the past that got lost in time?

"Ooh! Such a exquisite golden cabinet!" Margery exclaims, rushing over towards the far end of the shop. The furniture in question is a pristine, gold cabinet that's covered in intricate designs and is almost the height of the ceiling. I'm not sure of the value itself, but I'd like to think Margery knows something.

"Ahh, yes. Despite it being on display, it is unfortunately not for sale, miss. That's a piece that's been here before I even opened shop here. For one thing, it's locked. It is also far too heavy for me to move, and far too expensive to find someone to move it," he explains, stepping in front of Margery. I sense a hint of nervousness in his tone. I can only figure the cabinet itself hides something that isn't my or Margery's business. It's probably a can of Wormadams that shopkeeper doesn't want anyone opening.

"I see..." Margery says, dejected. "That's a true shame. A fine work of craftsmanship. One of the best I've ever seen." She runs her hand along an edge, looking and analyzing some sort of value I don't understand. Sure, it's shiny. I can admit that. But the only shiny things I've ever seen are Pokémon, and I'm not sure if the value increases the same way it does with inanimate objects.

"Though I can't sell you the cabinet..." the shopkeeper says, "...I can offer a complimentary tidbit of information."

Margery nods in approval. "The best kind of information is free information."

"Spoken like a true merchant," the shopkeeper nods. I look at the two of them, both seemingly on the same wavelength. It's not that I don't understand it, but I just do not understand it.

"This cabinet, to my knowledge, was made by an Arcellan Deviser and blessed by an Arcellan Runechanter. This isn't just decoration, but possibly even something that could trap evil incarnations or abominations," the shopkeeper says. The whole description he gives confuses me. Terms I've never heard of mixed with foreign concepts fry my brain faster than a Magcargo could. I'll have to ask Margery later if she knows anything.

"How quaint and mysterious," she nods, tapping her chin with her index finger. She fixates on the cabinet for a moment before taking a step backwards away from it to admire it from a different angle. She then whirls around to me and nods slightly.

"Well shopkeep, though the time was fun, our stay is done. My comrade and I have other places to visit," she explains with a bow, "But I feel this isn't the last time we'll cross paths. We shall come again soon."

"By all means, I shall await your return," the shopkeeper nods, clasping his hands together. I turn to Margery, who is already out the door. I nod to the shopkeeper quickly and dash after her. Though I dislike it, I realize she's pulling me around following her whims again.

"Well, now to the rest of the tour," she says to me, looking off back into the street lined with shops and other booths of various wares. She struts over to the nearest one: a wooden stall with a blue cloth hanging over it selling what seemed to be...bottles of some concoctions?

"Hello! Is anyone here?" Margery calls out to the seemingly unmanned stall. Only products are on display while no one is around to sell them.

"Margery!" a high-pitched voice shouts. Out from behind the counter pops up a young girl, one with rather familiar features. Behind her is a short, eldery lady. Both are in simple clothes similar to Margery's, minus the jacket she wears over it all.

"Well, if it isn't Serafina. You've grown so much since I've seen you," Margery says as the girl runs around the back of the stall to meet the two of us out front. Margery gives her a hug as the old lady slowly makes her way to the storefront.

"And the original owner herself. Glad to see you're still going Ms. Maltesta," Margery acknowledges. I assume that she means the old lady when she says the name.

"Margery, we've known each other for so long. And we've been doing business even longer. When will you refer to me by Anne?" the elderly lady, who I assume is named Anne Maltesta, asks her. Her stature is slightly shorter than the store counter, where you can only see her with the bun her gray hair is tied up in. Wrinkles cover her eyelids to the point where she seems to always have her eyes closed.

"I have no idea Ms. Maltesta," Margery answers with a shrug. The girl releases her grip of Margery, where she pulls her close to the counter.

"Margery, look at grandma's wares!" Serafina shouts, pulling Margery. I take a step forward, looking closer at what is offered. What looks like sprays and other medicine is in the front. More mundane items are in the back that I can't name. Margery leans in and inspects the items and nods to herself.

"You've got shells?" Margery asks, raising a curious eyebrow. Anne nods slowly, and proceeds to the back of the shop out of sight.

"Aww, Margery! All you buy from Grandma is shells!" Serafina pouts. Margery pats the girl's head as she leans down towards her.

"There's a very specific reason why I buy shells. And from your grandmother. She offers the best quality for the price. And that's why I come back every time to buy out her stock when I arrive. And this is no different," Margery whispers. The girl's eyes widen in awe as Anne returns with the shells. Margery pulls out her pouch from her inside pocket and stuffs her hand inside it.

"How many?" Margery asks.

"Two hundred fifty," Anne replies.

"I'll offer three gold Pokecoins."

"Make it four."

"Make it three hundred shells."

"Deal," Anne finishes. She then walks back to the back entrance of the store and conjures a small pouch that makes a clinking noise. She hands it to Margery, who hands Anne the promised exchange value.

"Any information you can give me?" Margery adds.

"I hear there are some new statues of Arceus being rounded up. They first circulated when you passed through a few days ago, if you recall," Anne says. Margery nods and flips another gold Pokécoin into the air, which Anne snatches out of the air with the same Agility as a Meowth would. I stand back in astonishment from the whole exchange.

"And who is your friend?" Anne asks. Margery points to me and chuckles.

"That's Renault. Traveling companion. Temporary, as he's going somewhere," Margery answers. She slips her pouch back into her jacket pocket as Anne snickers.

"Hohoho. You've never traveled with anyone else before. This is a first," Anne chuckles. Margery nods as she dusts off her clothes.

"That's true. There's a first for everything I suppose," she quips, turning away from the stall. Serafina walks up to Margery again, tugging on her shirt.

"Margery! Grandma finally has enough for a store!" she shouts happily. Margery turns to Anne, who nods in agreement. I look at the both of them. Doesn't she already have a store though?

"This is a stall, Renault," Margery says, as if she's reading my mind, "Not a store. She has no front door for one."

"All I need is the property," Anne shrugs, her body creaking as she moves slowly. Margery turns to me and pulls me in.

"We should go. I have to return this merchandise to my cart. And I'm sure you have some...questions. Am I right?" she asks, winking at me. I nod quickly as she releases her grip and steps back. With a deep breath, she waves to Anne and Serafina.

"We must be off. We'll be around for a few days. Hopefully we can sit down for a less business-like meeting. Over food maybe," Margery smiles.

"I shall look forward to it," Anne smiles. Serafina, now behind the counter, nods in agreement happily.

Margery then turns away and proceeds back down the street we came from earlier. I follow her back to the inn. I can't wait for the explanations she has in store for me, whatever they may be about.