Zev turns his gaze to the door as the two customers enter. Newcomers, he notices immediately. He does not move from where leans even as they approach the bar, nor does he bother hiding his curious expression.

"Depends on what you like," the bartender, Milo, says in reply to the man who asked about drinks. "You look like a gin and tonic kind of guy. Maybe a beer for your friend?"

"Get them something a bit more refreshing than that, Milo," Zev chimes in smoothly, remembering to grin with nonchalant ease at the new customers. "They're new faces. We want them to come back to Howling, don't we?"

"An couple of old fashioneds, then."

While Milo starts fixing the drinks, Zev turns fully to face his customers. "I'm Zev," he says, placing a hand on his chest and extending his other one in a welcoming gesture, "the owner of this bar. Please, have a seat. Make yourselves comfortable."

The noise of the conversation — and of the Boltund and Snubbull — attract the attention of Zev's Rockruff, Luna. She emerges from behind the bar where she was previously napping. Though her ears perk up at the sight of the other two Pokémon, she lingers at Zev's side, obedient.

He smiles down at her. "Go on, say hello," he tells her, earning him a happy bark before she bounds toward the Boltund, sniffing at him with eagerness.

jack wainwright & Beau Fontaine

Jack warmly clasps Zev's proferred hand, giving it a hearty shake even as Watts slaps his paws to the floor in a playful bow to the rockruff. "Pleased to meet you, Zev! My name's Jack." He glances down to his boltund, hoping that the excitement of meeting a new friend would not send him into a barking frenzy. "And that's Watts. He can be a little exuberant but he won't cause any trouble. Same story for my new mate Beau here," he says with a playful nudge of Beau's arm.

[break][break]With an obvious glance around the room before, Jack smiles. "This is an awesome place! The photos don't really do it justice. Do you mind if I write about it in my travel blog?" He steps away slightly, leaning against the bar casually with an eye on the boltund as he continuously jumps playfully around the rockruff.

Zev Harcourt & Beau Fontaine

[break]

Zev's eyebrows rise at Jack's inquiry. "A travel blog?" Zev echoes, amused. "I don't mind at all. In fact, why don't you write down the link for me?" He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a small notepad, then reaches across the bar for a spare pen. He hands both of these to Jack. "And if you need photos for your post, please, feel free to take as many as you need."

Then Beau exclaims something that should be rather obvious. Zev stares at the younger man with incredulity for a second, allowing him precious time to realize it's probably a joke and he should laugh. Zev settles for a chuckle.

"It can be as fancy or as humble as you like," he explains to Beau, just as Milo finishes making both drinks and slides them toward their customers. Zev gestures to the two glasses, each one filled with amber-colored liquor, bitters, sugary syrup, a curling sliver of orange peel, and two bright red cherries. "For example, here we have old fashioneds mixed with whiskey from the Lava Ridge Distillery on Mount Chimney. It's run by an elderly man and his daughter, and the distillery has been in their family for generations. Their whiskey is highly sought after and can cost quite a sum, but the taste is so smooth, it goes down without burning. There's an earthy smokiness to it, too, probably from proximity to the volcano." Zev inclines his head toward the drinks. "Please, try it. This one's on the house."

jack wainwright & Beau Fontaine

Scribbling down the link to his blog on the notepad, Jack glances over at Beau with one eyebrow up. Uncertain on how to respond, he settles for a solemn nod to the man. "Yes, I'll certainly have to note to my readers that this is, in fact, one of those fancy bars," he smiles to Zev as he passes the notepad back.

Before reaching for the drink, he snaps a surreptitious photo of the beautiful concoction, making sure to angle it to show up the elegant curves of the orange garnish. He listens respectfully before taking a sip of the of the old fashioned, envisioning what the distillery must look like as the smokey taste rolled across his tongue, slightly softened by the inclusion of the sugar. As Zev's words soak in, especially about the costliness of the whiskey, a warm flush rolls across his nose and cheeks - partially from the liquor and partially from embarrassment. He probably should have asked about prices beforehand.

"Thanks for the drink, sir. I'll be sure to share the story of its high-quality ingredients and Milo's master mixology," he smiles reassuringly to Zev. Turning to Beau with interest, he asks "What do you think, mate?"

Zev Harcourt & Beau Fontaine

Is this guy for real? Zev wonders as he watches Beau, but outwardly, he chuckles with amusement as the bartender takes the used glass away and prepares a second old fashioned with a new one.

"At Howling, we can promise a drink for every occasion and every person's palate," Zev explains to his two customers. "If you want fancy liquor, you got it. If you want a beer, we have an assortment on tap, from your usual, cheap fare to artisanal craft brews. And we have a menu if you're feeling hungry."

He grabs a thin black menu from a nearby pile and hands it to Jack, deciding that the blogger was likely the more intelligent of the pair. The two-page booklet boasts a variety of bar food, from standard fare (such as fried Octillery with sweet chili sauce, and barbecue Farfetch'd wings with fries) to cuisine local to Hoenn (like minced Mareep dumplings and a sampler of different fish Pokémon, sliced thin and served raw on a bed of shredded radish).

jack wainwright & Beau Fontaine

Jack snaps a photo of the menu for later review when he gets around to writing his blog post. This place must be fancier than I thought if it has farfetch'd on the menu, given how rare they are, he thinks to himself as he places the menu back on the bar. With a sidelong glance at Beau, he gently closes the menu - best not to overwhelm him with too much fanciness at once.

"You good there, mate?" he asks Beau with a kind smile, "I don't have the upper body strength to carry you home if you get plastered."

Savoring another sip of the bevvy, Jack leans back and takes in the scene: the snubbull sitting at the table, the boltund and rockruff playing near the bar, his new friend joyfully enjoying a posh cocktail, and the bar owner kindly explaining what Howling at the Moon had to offer. He snapps another quick photo, suspecting that the scene was meant for his personal photo album rather than a blog post.

Zev Harcourt & Beau Fontaine

When the Snubbull joins the Boltund and Rockruff on the floor, Luna yips at him happily and drops into a play bow, her tail wagging. When Chaos only stares back at her, Luna stands up and tilts her head at him, confused.

"Leave him alone if he doesn't want to play, Luna," Zev says with a laugh, seeing their interaction. The Rockruff looks back at her master and returns to his side, tail wagging and tongue lolling out of her mouth. He squats next to her and scratches the spot behind her ear he knows she likes.

The sound of the door opening as another customer enters and Zev looks up with a smile. "Welcome to Howling," he says to the middle-aged man dressed in a tailored suit and tie. He stands to his full height as the unfamiliar patron approaches, briefcase in hand.

"Hello. I'm here to speak with Mr. Harcourt about a business proposition."

Ah. I see. Zev continues to smile as if the sudden understanding hadn't occurred. "Of course, sir. I'm Zev Harcourt," he introduces himself. Then he turns to Jack and Beau. "Gentlemen," he says to them, "it was great meeting you and I hope to see you back at Howling another night. Have a great evening." Then, turning once more to the newest visitor, Zev says, "If you'll please follow me, we can talk in the back."

With Luna at his side, the black-haired man leads the way into a corridor at the back of the main bar area, past the bathrooms on the right and another entrance to the kitchen on the left. They enter a door marked "Private" and emerge in a smaller chamber decorated very much like the front of the bar, yet containing only a single rectangular table and six wooden chairs at its center. Zev sits in the chair at the head of the table, the one nearest to the back wall.

In the dim lighting of this room, the smile vanishes from his face, replaced with an expression of cold callousness. His blue eyes are pale chips of ice. They scrutinize the older man even as he sits across from Zev and places his briefcase flat on the table.

"So," Zev says in a harsh voice very different from the one he used with Jack and Beau, "who does Team Rocket want killed this time?"

jack wainwright & Beau Fontaine

Jack nods politely to Zev as he turns away for his business meeting. Now bereft of his rockruff playmate, Watts sits next to the bar, his tail thumping rhythmically against the base of a barstool. Turning to Milo, he orders another (cheaper) cocktail to keep up with Beau and another water for the boltund. Taking a drink in each, he settles in at the bar with a contented smile. Truth be told, it had been so isolating moving away from home and everything he knew to live in Hoenn. Even with his blog, likes on a PC can't go out for a drink at a posh bar with you.

"We in this for the long haul tonight or are we done after this round?" he asks his new friend, "Either way, I'm happy we decided to come here."

Zev Harcourt & Beau Fontaine