During the Abra's latest fit, Sam and Lucy worked with Iron Will to come up with a plan. The first part was for Iron Will to take a good portion of the bits the pokemon had collected and use them to repair the wall, along with paying off the rent for a little while. Doing this ate up over half their 'acquired' funds, but the leftovers were more than enough for Iron Will to enact the next part in their glorious plan:

Accessories.

While the Scyther had initially resisted the idea of getting dressed up, Iron Will explained the reason behind it while looking for something the giant bug-type could wear and make work for him.

"If you just walk in like you are, then your claws will be the only reason the bouncers let you in. You need to dress up, make them underestimate you, and then they'll feel bad for even thinking of trying to stop you. After all, you're clearly cultured, you're wearing something to fit in!"

Sam sighed in exasperation, but nodded and gently prodded a black bow tie. Iron Will picked it up and held it against the Scyther's neck before nodding. "This looks like it will work with your colors...then again, black works with most every color. And it does add a little something...very well, Iron Will agrees. And what about your little friends?"

Lucy had been left back at the apartment to watch over Vincent. Small she may have been, but she was still a Fighting-type, and could pack a punch, especially with the moveset the doctor had drilled into her. Granted, she'd not had much chance to practice giving her punches, but the theory was still there.

Sam looked around the accessories before noticing something and perking up. Motioning for the minotaur to follow him, the pair walked over to an array of hats. Many types, styles, and colors were there, but the Scyther had eyes for only two of the hats on display.

For Lucy, he'd picked out a cream-colored sunhat that would be just a touch too large for her cranium. He could just see her in it, it flopping over her head and face before she reached up and tilted it back...It almost made him smile thinking about it. Iron Will had no such reservations, and chuckled as he picked it up. "For the little one with skeletal problems?"

Sam nodded, then held up the black top hat he'd picked out for Vincent. Something about it just screamed class, and it also seemed like something he would actually wear. Iron Will looked at the hat and held a hand to his chin. "Hmm...yes, Iron Will sees the little psychic wearing something like this...but it seems to be missing something..."

Sam tilted his head to the side, before realizing that yes, there was something that they could get for Vincent while they were out, but they'd not find it here. Performing a series of gestures, Sam pointed at Iron Will, nodded, then made a wide, sweeping gesture with his claws before shaking his head. Iron Will tilted his head to the side while he worked out what the Scyther had 'said.'

"You...agree with Iron Will...but don't think we'll find what we need here?"

Sam nodded, and Iron Will hummed. "Where, then?"

Sam merely pointed to the door that led out, and Iron Will sighed. "Let Iron Will pay for these things first, then you can lead Iron Will to where you think something for the little psychic can be found..."

The checkout process was remarkably quick, though it may have had something to do with the large bug with scythes for arms standing next to the minotaur. All the ponies parted around them, and the duo couldn't stop a small smile from crossing their faces. Once they were outside, Sam looked up and down the street before he saw a store selling what he knew Vincent would love, now that he was a Psychic-type. More specifically, he knew he would get the significance of giving these things to a little Abra.

The fearsome twosome walked into the housewares store, completely startling the pony behind the counter, and went straight to the silverware section. Sam pointed at the spoons, and Iron Will picked them up before laying them down on the shelf, one next to another. The Scyther ran one claw over the row of spoons, muttering 'scythe' at each one, before pausing in the middle.

This particular spoon appeared to be...slightly dented in the middle, making it look as though something tried to twist it. There was also some sort of aura or energy around it, making it seem like a boulder about ready to roll down a hill.

Sam nodded at that one, and Iron Will carefully picked it up. None of the others met with his standards, so he merely gestured to the rack and flicked his right claw up and down once. Iron Will, thankfully, caught on.

"This spoon and one other?"

Sam nodded, and Iron Will picked up another spoon before turning to the pony behind the counter. "How much for these two spoons, little pony?"

The mare behind the counter gulped and replied in a shaky voice. "Uh, five bits for the normal one, and you can have the dented one for two...it just won't flatten out, no matter how hard we try, but we'd still like to get something for it, even though we just fo- I mean, made it the other day..."

Iron Will nodded and took seven bits out of the bag and dropped them on the counter. "Have a good day, little pony."

Sam merely smiled, nodded, and thought of Vincent's reaction when he was presented with a Twisted Spoon...

The Abra had been brought around after another few hours of sleep, and he reported that his headache was as bad as ever. Iron Will decreed that a good meal and a little more medication, combined with rest, would see him through this pain, and the pokemon nodded their heads at this. Sadly, there wasn't much to go around, because they needed to save some funds for the next casino trip, but the quartet made do.

Waking up the next day brought a welcome surprise to the little Abra, in that his pain was gone now. Or at the very least, unnoticeable. He'd been about to re-establish the communication links when Iron Will pulled out the accessories that Sam and him had picked out. Sam looked suitably dapper in his black bow tie, Lucy looked adorable in her cream sunhat, and Vincent just looked at the top hat with a faint look of shock on his face. Sam gently shook Vincent by the chest armor, which broke him out of his stupor. "Vincent? Everything okay?"

Vincent slowly nodded. "It's just...me getting gifts doesn't happen often...I don't recall the last time, actually..."

Sam smiled. "Then look inside and tell me what you think of it then."

Vincent turned the hat over to find the spoons that the Scyther had picked out the other day stuck inside. The fact that there were two of them, and that one was twisted, didn't escape him, and the little Abra looked up to the Scyther with an expression of shock. "You? How? Twisted Spoon? Where?"

Sam shook his head while still smiling. "Doesn't matter. You deserve some kindness. Plus, it's good to get some practice, right?"

The little Abra picked up the Twisted Spoon, shuddered at the sensation of power, and then put it back in the hat. "Not until I can at least Teleport and stop the feedback from causing me so much pain. I'd rather not give my powers more of a boost...that'll just put more at risk when it all comes crashing down."

Sam nodded at the sentiment. "Still. At least you have it for when you're ready."

Vincent nodded, placed the hat on his head, and closed his eyes to form the links. His hands glowed blue, and there were similar flashes from the heads of the others. Testing! Can you all hear me and understand each other now?

Sam sounded off first. "Read you loud and clear."

Lucy nodded. "Yup! You're getting real good at this!"

Iron Will looked around for a moment, before realizing that it was the little fox's doing. "You are highly talented, little one. And Iron Will is glad to not be left out of conversations anymore."

Iron Will picked Lucy up and set her on his shoulders. "Iron Will has a plan. You can use the eyes of this one to gather information, and Iron Will is more approachable to pony-folk. Iron Will will play cards with ponies, and you will feed Iron Will information so that Iron Will can win a good amount of bits. You and the mighty warrior will wander the casino and play other games."

The bug and tiny fighter exchanged a quick look before nodding, and Sam placed a claw on Iron Will's right arm. "Just so you know, if anything happens to her, I will hold you accountable."

The minotaur nodded once, slowly. "Iron Will will guard her."

And thus, the quartet left to take on another casino.

Vincent's time in the Monte Colto casino was proving to be rather boring. Beyond sitting on Sam's head and feeding information on the cards of others to Iron Will, there was nothing for him to do. At least Iron Will was playing intelligently and throwing hands more often than winning them, making others bluff and toss more of their bits onto a pot he was sure to win. Even with the help Vincent was giving him via Lucy sitting nearby and looking at other players, it was quite odd. Iron Will was very good at this whole betting thing...

...It was almost like he'd done this before...

Vincent was snapped out of his musing by the sounds of commotion coming from somewhere. Sam, what's that? What's going on?

...It looks like some ponies are arguing near the slot machines. Should we take a look?

Why not? It's more interesting than trying to find a game where we have an even chance of winning...

The Scyther and his behatted Abra-hat made their way over to the slot machines, where two ponies were arguing.

"Sir, you cannot have won so much from one machine! It's simply unlikely!"

"Are you telling me these machines are defective because I've been winning? That seems suspicious to me!"

Vincent ignored the both of them in favor of the sparking machine, even though he couldn't, at the moment see it. More specifically, he was interested in the sounds coming from the machine. The sounds that he could understand.

"ErrOR...U-U-User is satISfied, but ow-owner is not-t-t-t. Must re-re-rework the data a-a-again..."

Vincent knew that voice. He'd not met the owner of it often, but he knew it all the same. He softly reached towards it with a tendril of power and felt a mind. Bit? Bit, is that you?

The machine sparked, and from its form, a red sphere with a blue stripe arose. Two blue ovals for arms and one blue oval for a tail appeared around it, followed by a red head. A red horn grew from it, and a blue beak extended. A yellow eye with a black series of rings opened up, and the creature looked down on the little ponies around it. Then it noticed the Scyther and Abra standing nearby, and it floated over. To the ponies, it was saying something along the lines of "Por, Pory, Porygon-gon-gon...Zee zee zee zee..."

To the pokemon, it was something a little more comprehensive. "Subjects identifiiiiied. Subject thirty-six-six-six, iDENTified. Partial identifica-ca-cation of subject thirty sev-sev-seven." It was silent for a moment, then tilted its head. "Error: Abra knew of subject thirty-ssssssseven's term of endear-dear-dearment for this subject...insufficient eviDENce for a meaningful conCLUsion..."

Sam spoke up then. "Bit? Bit, you were upgraded to a Porygon-Z in the transfer?"

The Porygon looked from Vincent to Sam then. "Subject thirTY-six is corrrrrrect. When this sub-sub-subject awoke within this plaaaaaace, it was a Por-Por-Porygon-Z." It tilted its head back to the correct position, and from somewhere in its body, a dinging noise was heard. "Con-con-conclusion is being rrrrrreached. This one reCEIved a com-com-communication from Lord Arceus...if subject thir-thir-thirty seven was changed upon coming to this wor-wor-world, an Ab-Ab-Abra would make the most seeeeense, considering the Doctor's ex-ex-experiments."

Vincent nodded as the Porygon-Z stuttered out its conclusion. Yes, I was changed into this when I came here, Bit. And hopefully, father didn't come with us. A smile crossed his face at that. And since I'm his direct descendant and you can't find any staff, power over you would pass to me, wouldn't it?

He hadn't wanted to pull that card, but the Porygon-2 from his time in the lab had only followed the rules, never thought outside them. Hopefully, the Porygon-Z would be just as much a stickler... There was the sound of ticking coming from the Porygon-Z before eventually it dinged again. "Sub-sub-subject thirty-seeeeven is cor-cor-correct. Hello, mas-mas-master Vincent. What shall I-I-I do for yoooooou?"

At this point, the ponies were becoming rowdy. "That thing came out of our busted machine! It's that thing's fault!"

The pony that had been winning looked pleased at the prospect, but the casino staff closed ranks around the trio of pokemon. Sam and Vincent gulped and shared one sentiment. "This won't end well..."

At that point, the Porygon-Z looked at the ponies and its eyes glowed. "Act-act-activating preLIMinary defeeeeeeenses of master Vincent! Tri-tri-TRI-ATTACK!"

A red, yellow, and blue orb began circling the Porygon-Z's form, while Sam and Vincent gulped at the name of the attack. They shared another sentiment then. "This REALLY won't end well!"

Author's Notes:

Anyone that can make/provide art of the team all dapper'd out on tour of Los Pegasus is instantly awesome in my book.

I keep picturing it in my head and smiling at the scene my mind conjures.

(P.S.: Bit the Porygon-Z wears a monocle, obviously, while Iron Will wears a red necktie. No shirt or collar, just a tie. And of course, Sam accents his black bow tie by wearing Vincent as a hat while the Abra's wearing his hat. Lucy tends to catch a ride on Iron Will's head, thus lending a +5 to her cuteness score. See what I mean about smiling?)