"Thank you for your business. We hope to see you again soon!"

  Tanya answered the cheery voice with a brief wave before exiting the establishment. Once back on the street, she let a breath out in relief.

  'Trouble?'

  She looked down at the Pokemon trailing her and rubbed her head. Curiously, the Pokemon didn't shoo her away like last time. It was a mystery, just not one she thought worth the effort of solving.

  "Drink your juice," she instructed, moving the loaded cup carrier closer to her mouth and taking a sip of her own. "You'll need your vitamins."

  Ralts raised the cup already in her hand and took a long drink. A burst of satisfaction was sent to Tanya, one that she echoed.

  They'd made their camp after sunset the night before, right outside Camphrier town as planned. With the new day, she and her team had confidently marched into town, only to see a harrowing sight on the way in.

  The town was surrounded by berry fields. There were countless rows of them planted with, from what she could tell, a wide variety of berries. It all seemed designed to hammer in what a massive blunder she had made. She was a person of the modern age, one who understood business. So how had she forgotten such a basic tenet as supply and demand? She'd foolishly loaded up on a resource that was abundant in the region. It was the type of error that made her take a good, long look at herself and reevaluate her priorities.

  "Ralts. When launching a new venture, don't forget to do market research."

  She might have avoided the potential problem if she had that binder Marie put together. Perhaps she should ask for some pictures of it to be sent? The prospect filled her with reluctance. They had each other's actual numbers now, but Tanya didn't like messaging her. Marie had a weird way of texting, and Tanya had trouble understanding the girl. Just this morning she got a text reading only the words: I'm in.

  Not wanting to be hounded, she'd sent a simple 'good job' back.

  Putting thoughts of the weird girl behind her, Tanya began walking to where she left the others. Camphrier Town was larger than the name would suggest. It was nestled against a plateau that was home to a massive residence. It was called a manor but was more akin to a fortress, with walls, watchtowers, and battlements. The landmark loomed over the town, casting its shadow over it depending on the time of day.

  The town itself had a wide variety of colors. No adjacent buildings were painted the same, and many of them came up to three stories. The avenues were wide and well-paved. They were primarily dedicated to pedestrians, and she'd only seen a few vehicles since arriving. Like Lumiose, it was full of life with early morning workers commuting.

  'I know, mama.'

  Tanya glanced behind her to see pink eyes peering at her from behind green bangs. For a moment, she thought there might have been a smidge of attitude with that response, but it must have been her imagination.

  She took another sip of her drink. It was sweet, but not overpowering. Some would claim that it being blended with her own berries made it taste sweeter, but she was not susceptible to such mental delusions.

  In spite of the town being a primary berry grower of the region, she'd learned they'd consumed them at an astonishing rate. They went so far as to give out free drinks to new arrivals. That was the type of action she would normally jump to criticize, but that was only if she looked at it in a vacuum. If she considered the broader implications, it was an advertisement for both their town and its products. She could respect that.

  Her berries had been exchanged for a modest sum, but for a day's work, she wasn't complaining. Especially since she no longer had to lug around perishable goods. She had ended up keeping some Orans, as she could make more of that salve Gurkinn had shown her.

  Walking along the street, she soon spotted the, thankfully intact, playground she'd left the others at. Her pace increased as she saw Mawile standing on one end of a seesaw while gesturing to Gabite. She didn't have to understand Pokemon to know Mawile was trying to coax Gabite into launching her up. That would have been fine, if not for the seesaw being made of wood.

  "Cut it out!" She yelled, causing her team's heads to snap to her. "That wood would snap if anyone does what you want."

  Tanya knew Mawile must have understood that point, which made it all the more frustrating to deal with.

  "Maw, maw!" Mawile hopped up and down excitedly, pointing at the raised end of the playground equipment. "Mawile!"

  Tanya wasn't sure what the Pokemon was thinking. It wasn't like she could magically wave away the laws of physics. Well, not that of the integrity of wood, at least. Thankfully, she had brought a distraction with her.

  "Get off that and come over here. I got you a drink."

  The promise of that got a smile and Mawile leaped off the seesaw. Her landing kicked up some dirt, but she didn't seem to mind and ran forward. Reaching up, Mawile made to snag a cup when Tanya pulled the cup carrier back.

  "No." She adjusted her grip, angling one of the cups closer to Mawile. "You'll like this one better." In a curious case of events, all of her Pokemon liked sweet flavors. However, there was some variation in their taste. Mawile in particular liked things with more of a kick. "It's a Liechi Berry Blend."

  Mawile reached up, carefully wrapping her fingers around the drink. She took a sip and her eyes went wide. She flopped onto the ground, sitting with her legs out and slowly drinking the juice.

  "Carbink." Tanya continued down the line. "I got you the Salac if you feel like drinking."

  He tilted his head curiously before slowly approaching. The straw disappeared into his fluffy collar, and his ears flopped up and down.

  "Bin!"

  He'd barely had any, but he claimed fullness. It was a recurring theme and Tanya didn't put too much stock in it.

  "Gabite, I wasn't sure about you so I went with the most popular, Lum." The dragon reared her head back, tilting it in confusion. That was the appropriate reaction. Tanya had made her lack of enthusiasm for having to feed the beast known. However, footing the bill was better than having a dragon try to hunt in the city. "Take it."

  The Pokemon's heavy footfalls approached, and she was about to reach out when she froze, staring down at her hands, or the lack thereof.

  Ah, right. Gabite had no fingers or hands to carry the cup. Tanya was searching for solutions when the drink floated up, traveling to Gabite's maw. She looked down to see Ralts still enjoying her own drink.

  At a certain point, Mimikyu had decided to leave Tanya's pack and was now pressed against the psychic's side. He wore a Phanpy doll today, and the drink she chose for him floated out of the carrier. The straw entered into the trunk, and she imagined an observer would have thought them having some sort of child's tea party.

  With everything distributed, she walked over to a bin and tossed her drink and the carrier, keeping Carbink's for herself. She went back to her group, finding them already in a small huddle.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  "We'll finish up our drinks and move onto Route 7."

  They'd discussed this all before, but repetition was often needed. Her eyes drifted to a certain member of the group.

  "Maw?"

  Tanya didn't deign to respond to that and moved her sight to the west.

  "One of the major rivers in Kalos bisects the route. It's currently to our south, but there's a bridge we'll cross that puts it to the north of us. The road hugs the banks of the river, which narrows the areas he could be making camp."

  With the road being the longest one in the region and a nearby waterway, Tanya could see why a poacher would set up shop here. It gave them multiple ways to move Pokemon and equipment should they wish.

  "Wile, ma, wile," Mawile argued while standing, kicking away the empty cardboard cup. "Ma, wile, mawile."

  Before she could order Mawile to pick up her litter, the cup bounced up and flew into the bin. The Pokemon had always been able to accomplish such things, but the occurrences had been increasing in frequency. Tanya could attribute some of that to the Twisted Spoon, but she also suspected Ralts had been secretly training. That would explain why the Energy Powder she'd provided her was almost gone.

  "We're not tourists," Tanya shot down Mawile's request. "Sightseeing would be a waste of time. Besides, don't you want to see what powerful Pokemon we might find off the route?"

  She'd thought that would be the end of that idea, but Mawile's hand sprang up, pointing at Carbink.

  "Ma, mawile, maw, wile, wile."

  Tanya's thoughts stopped dead in their tracks, and her entire being froze. There was no way to verify, but she suspected her heart and skipped several beats. A slight breeze hit her face, causing a stray piece of hair to tickle her face and bring her back to reality.

  "Y–you." She uncharacteristically tripped over her words, failing to come to grips with the situation. "You read his contract?"

  What the hell? She'd watched the Pokemon sign her own. Mawile had flipped through the pages in seconds and then put her thumbprint at the end. There was no way she'd managed to read it that quickly. Let alone read Carbinks'!

  "Mawile, ma, wile," Mawile placed her hands on her hips, leaning forward with a smug grin. "Maw."

  Tanya had written the contract herself. She'd based it on one of the many employment contracts she'd sent to successful candidates in her first life. However, even if she recognized the contents of the clause Mawile was referring to, she could not quote the exact subsection.

  Her fingers reached into her pocket with an amount of trepidation she didn't know possible. She fumbled the code on her first attempt, and then almost again on the second. Successfully getting in, she navigated to where she kept the digital copies of their contracts. Her thumb pressed down on the file, and a loading wheel spun until her eyes were met with the document. Sweat was wiped on her screen with every stroke as she scrolled down. Upon reaching the page, she shut her eyes for a brief moment. Resolving herself, she opened them and read.

  "Ralts," Tanya snapped, sending the Pokemon an evaluating gaze. "Did you tell her? I won't be mad if you tell me now."

  On the contrary, she'd be relieved.

  'No,' Ralts shook her head. 'Only read mine.'

  This world had never made sense. Tanya had come to terms with that. However, in her entire time here, she could safely say this was the biggest shock she'd received.

  Was Mawile… smart?

  Her brain was only too eager to provide her examples proving she was not, and Tanya settled down. Yes, this was all a fluke. Nothing more.

  "You're correct," Tanya replied, making sure her voice was steady. "However, Carbink's right to explore does not entail the whole group, and it's his choice whether to enact it."

  He'd mostly used to wander around camp. Thinking about it, she'd recently given the same privileges to Mawile for nothing. Then again, she wasn't contractually obligated to let her have those.

  Carbink didn't seem to realize he was the center of attention. Even when all eyes were on him, he simply blinked at her.

  "Maw," Mawile stepped in front of him, placing two hands on his side and bringing him close. "Wile, ma, wile."

  If Mawile had been trying to coerce a specific decision from Carbink, that would merit an intervention. However, she was only explaining the options. Tanya was having trouble figuring out what her motives here were. She never expressed such interest in Lumiose, but maybe that's what her walks were about? There was something she was missing here.

  'Big Sis,' Ralts filled in for her.

  Tanya had enough scares today and wasn't looking to confront the implications of that concept. This called for a reassessment of her position. A tactical retreat of a kind.

  "Change of plans," she unilaterally declared. "We'll take a look around. Maybe float his name around and see if that gets any reactions."

  Humans were weak creatures. They didn't like putting up with discomfort, so there were decent odds he'd wandered into town before seeking some relief from the wilderness. She wasn't sure if he was smart enough to use an alias, but on the off chance he wasn't, then they might find some success.

  There was a risk of tipping him off, but Tanya wasn't too worried about that. After all, she was just a little girl who didn't know any better.

  "You're saying all your fields are plowed by a singular Snorlax?" Tanya asked, not masking her disbelief. "And in a day no less?"

  She was sitting on a stool at an outdoor juice bar. Since they were invented, bars or taverns were the places to gather information. With her age, this was the best she could do.

  Her eyes strayed to the side, where she saw her team lined up. This wasn't the first place they'd stopped, and while she'd begrudgingly allowed Mawile to guzzle down her fill, the others would not be given the same pass. They'd each already had a minimum of two, and she was not spoiling their appetite by letting them overindulge.

  "Yep," the barkeep responded. His back was to them, and he was currently rinsing out a blender. "He comes by every year to eat the stubble left after harvest season. I don't think he means to, but he ends up plowing the whole thing before going back to sleep. His snores are something else, but we're grateful to him. During the annual festival, Lord Shabboneau plays his Poke Flute to wake him up and then we stuff him with as many berries as he can eat. Gotta make sure the big lug keeps coming back."

  As much as a Snorlax could eat was a dangerous proposition. However, their method was better than capturing the glutton. This way, they were only responsible for one meal out of the year. She did find it amusing that they had essentially made the Snorlax a contractor, but she kept that to herself.

  "I heard about Lord Shabboneau. We were hoping to visit his manor, but it appears he is out."

  The residence was their primary claim to fame, and it was open to the public. They just had bad luck with the owner being away right now. At least they'd found that out before making the trek up.

  "He's a good man. The type that couldn't do enough for you. He had to pay a visit to the Parfum Palace but if you stick around a little, I'm sure he'll be back. How long are you in town for?"

  That was the question she'd been going for. While she loathed this type of small talk, it was necessary at times.

  "I'm passing through, but my dad was hoping I could get in contact with an old friend of his. It's been years since they've seen each other, but he heard that he might be in the area. Probably camping somewhere nearby. He's a real outdoorsy type."

  The barkeep gave a hum of understanding, turned off the faucet, and then grabbed a towel. He turned, facing her as he dried the plastic container.

  "Sounds like a backpacker. We get a lot of those on their way to Connecting Cage. What's the name?"

  Tanya sucked on her straw, producing a slurping sound and showing she'd already finished her drink. Would it be wrong to order another?

  'Moderation, mama.'

  Her eyes flickered to Ralts. She was sitting politely with her hands folded in her lap. That image would have been more convincing if she could not feel the self-satisfaction radiating from her. Maybe she should have let the Pokemon drink all she wanted, only to run them all through drills afterward.

  "Dolan," she responded, while still considering her idea.

  That would be wrong… wouldn't it? She wouldn't have hesitated to put the 203rd through it, but times called for change, and Tanya was nothing if not adaptable.

  "Dolan, huh?" The barkeep rubbed his chin, looking into the distance with squinted eyes. "Dolan, Dolan, Dolan, where have I heard that name before?"

  Tanya perked up, regarding the man with new-found interest. Everyone else they'd spoken to hadn't a clue of who they were talking about. His fingers snapped, and she sat straighter.

  "I remember now. That's the big fella with a red nose. It's been a while since I've seen him. He used to drive his truck into town all the time. Always picking up wood or bags of concrete, construction-type stuff. I figured he was a builder or something."

  She committed the description to memory and considered the rest. From her understanding, poachers were generally nomadic. This was to stay ahead of the league and to exploit untapped Pokemon populations. Why would this one be building something? Did he perhaps have too many Pokemon captured?

  "Was there anyone else with him?" She asked, only realizing a moment later how that might have sounded. "Dad said he was a bit of a loner. I was wondering if that's still the case."

  Facilities meant this might be more than a solo operation on his part. That brought her level of anticipation up. If there were more poachers, they surely had more firearms.

  "He had a Diggersby, but apart from that, I don't remember him being with anyone."

  Maybe he was just the errand boy then? It was possible.

  "You wouldn't happen to know anything more about where he might be, do you? My dad didn't say it outright, but he's worried about his well-being."

  Planting a seed of doubt about the man's survival was good, but she wasn't hung up about it. There was an inherent expectation that going off-route could lead to a person's disappearance. It was a hazard of this world, and one not often taken seriously enough.

  Dolan had it worse than most, as being a poacher meant it was inevitable that he would piss off an overly powerful Pokemon and meet his doom.

  Tanya was simply expediting the process.