Curtains, check!

Sam grumbled under the weight of the large, thick, black cloth draped over one shoulder. "Why did I ever let you talk me into this?"

Because you like sleeping in as well, and I promised to get some for all the windows, including yours. Should we drop that off now?

The Scyther grumbled a little more, but nodded. "Got your link with Bit up?"

Yup! Hang on...

After a quick Teleport to the apartment to drop off the curtains the trio had purchased, the bug and psychic fox teleported back to the Porygon-Z, startling nearby ponies who hadn't seen the vanishing act. "You are getting very good at con-con-controlling your powers, Vincent."

I try. Okay, next on the list?

"Food." Two grumbling stomachs answered the declaration, and Bit chuckled. "For both the ho-ho-home and you two, it would seem."

Hey, it IS lunchtime...howzabout lunch out?

"Sounds like a plan," Sam agreed.

Just then, an enticing aroma wound its way past the noses of the two who actually ate food. With almost comedic timing, they raised their heads, sniffed, and looked around for the location that had produced so alluring an aroma. What they found was stunning.

A nearby cafe was busy manufacturing discs of pastry covered with tomato sauce and shredded cheese. Topping it off were olives, onions, peppers, and mushrooms. The spices and herbs sprinkled throughout the disc of appetizing starch caused the mouths of the bipedal bug and psychic fox to water quite a bit.

Without even noticing, the duo had moved closer to the cafe, taking in the sights and smells of the pizza, which only caused their stomachs to growl a little more. A griffon with a chef's hat on came closer to the duo and greeted them heartily. "Saluti, and welcome to Fredrick's! I am the owner and head chef, and you are curious about these pastries, are you not?"

Pizza. This is pizza, isn't it, Sam?

"Yes. How did this get here? Who brought the idea here?"

The griffon winced a bit before scratching at the back of his head with one claw. "Ahah. Well, I freely admit that I am not the progenitor of this wonderful creation. The one you seek is another of your kind, and she is in the kitchen at the moment, and asked to not be disturbed while she was cooking. Rather forcibly insisted in fact." The half-lion flinched at the memory.

At that moment, a voice rung out, another slightly familiar one. It took him a moment, but when it started singing, Vincent finally placed it.

"La donna é libera, Qual piuma al vento, Fredrick, the next set is ready! Muta d'accento, E di pensiero..."

The griffon turned to look back at the kitchen and sighed. "Ah, always when I'm greeting."

Sir? You understand her? Vincent was confused, there wasn't another Psychic around, at least, if he was correct about the owner of the voice.

The male griffon turned back and shook his head at the pair in the doorway. "Not in the sense that I understand you two, but she and I, we have learned how to talk to one another. One chef to another. The inflection in her voice just now indicated I have more food to pick up."

If you could, sir? Tell her that there are two here waiting to see her.

"I am...uncertain as to whether or not she will respond favorably while she is in the middle of cooking." The griffon actually paled at the thought of disturbing his newest chef.

Vincent sighed. Tell her there are two here waiting to see subject twenty-nine, and I guarantee you'll have to get out of her way before she goes through you.

The griffon looked at Vincent with a slightly curious glance before nodding and going into the kitchen. The sounds of muffled conversation were heard for a moment before a sharp clatter of dishes on the floor rang out. Anyone who understood Pokespeak heard the next part loud and clear. For those that didn't, it was something akin to "Sand Sandslash?"

"He said what?"

For a moment, there was silence, and them from the back came the sound of footsteps. The door swung open, and from the kitchen emerged a three-foot tall mouselike creature. Its chest fur was cream, and the fur covering the rest of her body was tan. The spines on her back were a vivid red, and the beady black eyes were focused on Sam and Vincent. The claws on its forelimbs were clicking up against one another, practically sending sparks flying, and the creature seemed to be shifting on its hind paws as it studied the two before her. And then the shiny Sandslash spoke.

"I don't know who you two stronzi think you are, but you better have a maledettamente buona reason for knowing that number."

Vincent smiled and hopped off of Sam's head, coming to a gentle floating stop before touching down on the floor. Hello Mary. It's been a while, hasn't it?

At this, the Sandslash blinked before drawing closer to the Abra. "Vincent? Vincent, is that you? It sounds like you..."

Indeed it is...little greenie. Sorry for pulling your number out, but-

Anything more Vincent was about to say was cut off by the Sandslash running forward and catching him in a bear-hug. "Oh little Vincent! It is so good to see you again! Let me take a better look at you!"

The enthusiastic Sandslash held Vincent at arm's length and looked him over with a critical eye. "So this is what Arceus meant by 'those who underwent changes when they arrived here,' eh? That god, what a burlone! Still, at least the little human from all those years ago now has la ragione for understanding Pokemon. So how are you, little Vincent?"

Vincent carefully extracted his self from the Sandslash's embrace and checked himself over. Satisfied with what he found or didn't find, the Abra looked back up at the Sandslash named Mary. I'm...coping. It helps to have friends. Oh! That reminds me! I don't think you two have met, have you?

Sam stepped forward and nodded. "Sam, and since we already heard or knew yours, I'll share mine. Thirty-six."

Mary winced at that, but extended a claw towards the towering bug. "Always good to see another superstite of the Doctor's. What was yours, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Exoskeleton modification. Can't fly, but can take a few blows. Yours?"

"Making my claws sharper, more dangerous. When I evolved, I gained a misura of control over them, but they can react to my moods. Still, having them makes chopping ingredients a bit easier. It's chopping everything else I have to be careful of."

Vincent looked around the small cafe and whistled. Look at how far you've come. From that little green Sandshrew who spoke a language I could understand only half the time we talked to a chef in another world, passing on the recipes of ours.

Mary laughed at that. "And look at you. What once was a little umano is now a psychic force to be reckoned with in the making."

Sam and Vincent's stomach chose to rumble then, reminding them of why they had originally come into the cafe. Mary laughed at that and turned to go back into the kitchen. "An order of cheesy breadsticks and a large pizza for the three of us, I think. We should decisamente spend some time together, and lunch sounds good to me as well."

The bug and psychic fox found a table with an additional chair, and it wasn't a minute later that Fredrick came by and dropped off a basket of 'cheesy breadsticks'. Vincent picked one up and bit into it, relishing the sensation of melted cheese being contained by a starchy exterior. Drawing it back to look at it, he mused about its composition out loud. So is it a cheese, or a breadstick?

Sam shrugged. "Why not both at once?"

Vincent stared at the bug, then at the breadstick, then back at the bug, and a smile threatened to split his face in half. Oh...ohohoh...ahahahahah! Oh, thank you for that idea!

Sam was about to ask what the idea was before Fredrick and Mary came to the table. Mary pulled up the last seat, while Fredrick placed a large pizza in front of them. "And for the trio of Pokemon, a pony-friendly pizza! Dig in!"

It was even more delicious than Vincent had imagined.

Business Mind was not a happy mare.

Oh, certainly, she was pleased as punch that the Earth Pony Brigade case had been busted wide open. With them out of the picture, she could see herself buying, renovating, and then making use of their warehouses. Plus, her runners would no longer have to go around that particular stretch of city, or make mad dashes into and out of it. While PegasusAir didn't discriminate with their hiring practices, the EPB was none too happy that she'd decided to put the name of something that wasn't an Earth Pony in her company's name.

Her response to their continued bickering was simple: Had they ever heard of anything but a Pegasus creating a Sonic Rainboom?

No, the EPB being taken down was good news.

What was bad news was that the enforcers she'd hired hadn't reported back yet. Typically they either had results by now, or dropped in with a status update. For there to be nothing at this hour...

Quick Notes knocked on the door, and Business Mind looked up. Quick was wearing that face again, the one which said she wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Um...One of our informers said he saw the Trio at an apartment building being bounced around like balls before they disappeared. And then the Pokemon in question was seen walking around later without a care. Generally, I think they bit off more than they could chew..."

Business hissed and let thumped the desk with a hoof. An idea percolated in her mind, one she wasn't shy about using.

"I'm the head of an import and export company, right?" At Quick's nod, Business snorted and continued. "Then send out word to the warehouses, small gangs, large gangs. We're exporting these Pokemon. Fifty bits a head, more if they give anypony any trouble. By the end of this week, I want this city back under my hoof."

Thanks for lunch, Mary!

"Anytime, you two! Though next time, I ask you bring bits, eh? Addio!"

The Scyther and his Abra-hat left the cafe feeling far more full than they had going in, to see Bit hovering near a street-light. Upon catching sight of the two exiting, the Porygon-Z hovered close and nodded. "I took care of the food shop-shop-shopping for the home while you were within. Was your time there spent in re-re-refueling you?"

"Yeah, and we met someone as well. Mary."

The Porygon-Z's eyes dimmed a bit, and if you looked close, you could see the image of files flickering past before they brightened again. "Ah yes, experiment six-six-six hundred and forty-one. Claw mod-mod-modification on a Sandshrew. Would lead to the subject be-be-becoming subject twenty-nine, along with the third of five e-e-escapees." Bit's tone turned a bit wry for the next portion of information. "The Doctor really should have che-che-checked the sharpness and strength of the claws before lock-lock-locking her in a standard isolation u-u-unit."

Vincent laughed a bit at that. Yeah, he really should have. Oh well. Next thing on our list then, Bit?

The program dinged once before replying. "Ac-ac-accessories as gifts for the two who are not he-he-here. Most likely to be ac-ac-accepted: Scarves."

Author's Notes:

I fully admit that I used google translate around the cafe with Mary, so if any real Italians desire to correct me, by all means, do.