Crackdown

Goro? Goro?! Where are you?!

You're right. She must be looking for something. Let's see if she's okay.

Oh, Foran, just the person I need! My cat's run away!

O-Oh...your cat... That's a shame... Well, good luck with that!

Wait! Can't you see she needs your help?

I-It's just...I don't like cats! I don't know if I can help look for one!

Oh, come on! Foran, please!

Pets are part of the family, I can see why you're desperate.

Mmm! Okay! But Aldo, you have to help! I won't touch the cat myself!

Don't worry, leave it to me. I've always had a soft spot for cats.

So, where haven't you checked yet?

I haven't been to the airport yet! I'll carry on checking here, could you look over there for me?

Don't worry, we'll find him! For a friend in need I can work past my fears!

Hmm? Wait, did you just hear that? A cry, somewhere close.

There! Foran, a cat!

Wh-Where?! Okay, we've found it now, let's go back.

No, we have to catch him, but he's not coming out. I need something long and thin to coax him out...

Wh-What? You're staring at me. Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this.

I was just thinking that spear of yours would be perfect.

Wha? You're joking, right? I already told you I hate cats! Look! He seems perfectly happy down there! I think he's moved in!

Do you really hate cats that much? I think they're cute.

Well I don't, okay? I'm not going to give you my spear!

O-Okay. I'll find another way. Maybe if we had some food?

Food? Aldo, where are we going to get food?

It's better than using your spear, though, isn't it? Now a fish is what we need...

Fish? I think old man Za'ol might know something about that.

Oh, you know Za'ol?

Kinda. He repaired my spear a long time ago.

Is that right? Then let's go see Za'ol.

Alright, let's get moving!

Long time no see!

Oh, if it isn't Foran. Do you need me to work on your spear again?

No, not this time. We've come about something else today...

Oh, you know, just the other day I received a new proton beam spear.

What? Really?! Lemme see! ...No, wait. Don't treat me like a child!

What? You're not interested? This is a big upgrade from your training spear, you know?

I know, I've been practicing since I was a child... But I don't need a new spear right now!

You say that, but I've seen you in here a few times.

Wh-What?! Don't be silly!

Wait, didn't you say that your grandmother hated all the fighting?

I guess so. But once a fighter always a fighter...

So that's why you enjoy coming to a weapons shop! Now I get it!

It's all right for boys...but for me it's always been more difficult.

Anyway, that's not what we came here to do, Aldo!

Oh yeah, you're right.

Za'ol, do you know where I might get a fish to lure out a cat?

Oh? Well a cat would go after just about any fish. Unless you're talking about the catnip fish?

Wha?! But that's super rare! Who would ever give something like that to a cat?!

Oh, you won't find any of them these days. They're a protected species now.

Catnip fish? We had those back in my time, too. But they were never all that valuable. The traveling merchants used to come and sell them.

Ah! Now that's an idea! Even if they're endangered now, they were more populous in the past.

So you'll be going to the early days of the Miglance Kingdom?! Oh, what I wouldn't give to go back there and take a look at those weapons!

I guess some men never grow up.

So, catnip fish. I think they're in the Karek Swampland.

Alright, let's head back to your time.

The catnip fish must be around here somewhere.

Wait, didn't you say that we could buy some from the merchants?

The merchants don't come around this season. It could be months before they come.

...... What?

Oh, so they don't deliver? It must be hard living in this time. So what kind of fish is it?

To tell the truth, I've never seen one myself.

Is that a monster over there?

That thing by the water?

Just as we're trying to catch a fish...

I guess that monster likes the taste as much as cats do.

Now's not the time to talk! Let's just beat this monster and get the catnip fish!

Sorry, but this is ours! There's a damsel in distress!

Yes! We got the catnip fish! Hey, would you mind taking a photo?

So you can just get an instant picture? Future technology really is something.

Thanks, that's a good pic. I don't do this often, so I'll show this to my friends. Huh? I can't connect to the network. Aldo, do you think I'll get signal in town?

What do you think?

So there's no signal. This time really is inconvenient.

So future people think this time period is hard to live in. I guess I never thought about that before.

He's still in there. Come on, we got food for you...

Finally! Foran, he came out!

Great...

Hey, Foran. I really don't think you need to be that scared of cats.

Just leave it, okay? Let's just get this thing back to Elzion!

Okay! Then let's go to Gamma District. Aldo, please don't even pretend to hand that thing over to me.

Goro! You found him! Thank goodness!

......

Thank you so much, both of you! Really, thank you!

It was no problem. Now, we really must...

Why do you hate cats so much?

A long time ago, my grandmother had a cat that she adopted. It was the nastiest creature in existence! That was when I started with the spear. I was only two years old!

A spear?! To fight a cat?! What kind of cat is that?

I lost. Beaten and bruised. That cat, with its cute face, it was a monster. And then my grandmother refused to believe that the cat had hurt me.

So that's when she said you couldn't practice any more?

Exactly! Those dark days without my spear, it's all the cat's fault!

But that all happened a long time ago, right? I know! Let's take a picture to show you're not afraid!

What?! A picture of me...with a cat?!

I thought people in the future took pictures of just about everything.

Come on, Foran, you won't be in the picture way over there!

Foran, just calm down. It's not going to attack you.

Look, if you don't get closer you won't be in the picture!

Aaagh!

Say cheese!