Tanya crested the verdant hill, being met with quite the view from below. The path they were on snaked downward, into what many would consider the real city. It had a narrow bay with overlooking cliffs. The rock formations peaking out from the waves told her there would be a shallow draft.

The limit of ship size detracted from its usefulness but it was a defensible position. They could mount artillery pieces on the cliffs and install a harbor chain in the water. The monorail overhead would also provide an easy way to resupply. It almost reminded her of Orse Fjord, thankfully the climate here was far warmer.

"Wi." The Pokemon walking alongside poked her. "Wile."

She wasn't dignifying that with a response. Ralts was small and easily carryable, Mawile was half Tanya's height. It would look ridiculous. The Pokemon was also physically superior to her, it could keep pace perfectly fine. Her eyes darted to her side, remembering not everyone in their party was having as easy of a time.

"Are you okay?" Tanya asked the slightly flushed girl. "We can take a break if you want."

Despite her better judgment, she'd spent the night at Marie's house. After the mess Mawile made of dinner, she could hardly refuse when the request had been repeated. She had spent a good amount of time cleaning, even managing to wrestle the belligerent Pokemon into the shower without breaking anything.

"I can make it." Marie forced a smile, wiping the perspiration from her brow. "I have to get used to it."

"The monorail would have saved time," Tanya noted, looking at it some meters away. At certain points, it ran parallel to the road. She could see it loop down into and around the city.

"It doesn't run 24/7. Besides, first-time visitors have to do the hike-in. Seeing it from a stupid cab train doesn't do it justice."

That explained their early departure time. Not that she was complaining about the wake-up time. The bundle in her arm shifted and gave a small yawn. Eyes blinked up at her, struggling to remain open.

"I'm returning you," She stated simply, retrieving the ball from her new belt. It had a series of slots that fit the standard miniaturized Pokeballs.

'No.' Came to her with a strong sense of disapproval. If that wasn't enough, the Pokemon weakly clutched at her jacket.

She didn't let the protest stop her and the red flash consumed the Pokemon. Her own height might be a lost cause but she wasn't going to give up on Ralts. She'd looked it up last night and their average height was .4 meters. Ralts was a little above half that but she was young. There was time to correct it.

Without taking her pack off she shoved the now empty blanket inside one of the pockets.

"Your Pokemon are weird," Marie commented from the side.

Tanya was about to correct her when she saw that Mawile, after having been denied a ride, had decided to seek alternatives.

She was balanced precariously on Carbink. She watched as they worked out a system in which Mawile would 'steer' by using Carbink's ears as a form of reigns. There was some awkward balancing at the start but it smoothed out and the duo were soon orbiting around them in a circle.

If she were being generous, Tanya could say it was a form of teamwork and strength-building.

Mawile held Tanya's stare and slowly but deliberately, raised a hand. It turned into a rude gesture and Tanya frowned slightly.

There was a click and another red beam shot out, Mawile was caught off guard when it surrounded Carbink and not her. The Pokemon fell face-first into the dirt and Tanya clicked the ball again to release Carbink.

"Car?" Carbink approached the prone form of Mawile and questioned the Pokemon. Tanya left them to their discussion.

"They came like this," She weakly defended. "Bonsly hasn't caused you problems?"

"Noo?" Marie didn't meet her gaze. "The biggest problem I have is him forgetting he's a Rock type. I actually found him over there." Tanya followed the finger and saw a meadow on the next hill over. "He'd been taken in by some of the gym's Pokemon, a pack of Sunflora."

"Do they all belong to the gym?" She'd seen more than a few grass-type Pokemon wandering around but they'd hadn't been bothered. Their passivity made far more sense if they weren't wild.

Marie's nose scrunched up and she inspected the surroundings. Her sight lingered on a group of Jumpluff playing with each other before shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't know. I think most of them are. I know the gym posts alot of jobs related to caring for them. I'd like to do them myself but you need at least a badge to get them."

A sensible if crude way of determining qualification. Otherwise, you could have children running around and creating danger to themselves and the community.

"How many badges do you have anyway? No wait," Marie's brow furrowed and she began muttering under her breath. She started counting something with her hands before holding out two fingers. "It's two, right? Definitely more than one. Your teams to big for that."

"I'm traveling for the sake of it. We haven't challenged any of the gyms."

"Wow…really?" Marie tilted her head and asked skeptically. Tanya nodded in response and the girl continued. "I mean, I know not everyone is cut out to go pro but don't you want a badge or two? Aside from the lump sum you get from earning a badge, the increased allowance is pretty nice. All bro has to do is respond to some emergencies every now and then."

Her gut reaction was to scoff at the government providing free money to registered trainers. The experience on the island tempered her response. Being a trainer was a hazardous occupation but someone had to deal with the rampant, occasionally violent, fauna that inhabited this world and money was a good motivator.

"I didn't realize there was a stipend attached to it," Tanya elaborated after seeing the surprise on the girl's face. "I grew up in a conservative household. This is my first time out and about."

Keep it vague and let her come to her own conclusions. Preferably, the wrong ones. That killed any further conversation and Tanya pretended not to notice the subtle glances sent her way. Well, as subtle as a child could be.

The path beneath their feet transitioned from gravel to cobblestone and finished at a polished white stone. The sea breeze carried with it the lively sounds of the city. Excited yelling, the occasional car horn, and cries of Pokemon were all intermixed.

The buildings were new and towered over her small frame. Nothing like the large cities in her first world but more than a handful were above ten stories. Across the bay, she could see some that looked double that height. Pokemon freely roamed the streets, predominately grass and water types.

Marie took the lead and nearly skipped towards a corner. The first floor of the building was dominated by a large open window. There was a counter extended out towards the street and a man was cleaning it.

"If it isn't Marie!" The man boisterously called, setting aside his rag and resting against the opening. "Look how big you've gotten! How's your mom? Not driving her crazy like Marco did I hope."

"Morning Monsieur Allard," Marie greeted with a full smile. "Mom's good. She's traveling for work right now. And of course, I don't cause problems. I'm responsible."

Marie puffed out her chest at the declaration and the man nodded good-naturedly.

"I never doubted you. Now, what will it be? Your usual order? Haven't grown out of it I hope?"

"Ye-" She cut herself off, staring at the menu in deep thought. "Actually, I'll have the plain vanilla…with sprinkles."

The man winked at Marie before addressing Tanya.

"And you young miss? Fancy anything."

She checked her phone, the walk had been long but not that long.

"It's not even past noon." She displayed the screen and Monsieur Allard stifled a laugh while shaking his head.

"So?" Marie said with perplexion. "It's hot and people eat ice cream for breakfast all the time."

Tanya heavily doubted that but arguing with a child would be unbecoming.

"Ma." Mawile dismounted Carbink and walked over to a sign, tapping on the picture of some monstrosity.

Her eyes nearly fell out of her head when she saw the price listed next to it. Three hundred for a bowl?!? That was highway robbery!

Ah." Marie noticed her reaction and stepped in. "She's with me."

"That so?" The man evaluated her for a moment and then turned to the machine behind him. "I'll take care of you then, let me see here."

He didn't say anything else and worked quickly, before long he handed Marie her cone and then three more to Tanya.

"That's a coffee for you, bubble gum for Mawile, and Rocky Road for the Carbink."

She was about to argue that she'd not agreed to any order when Mawile snatched the one meant for it and Carbink. Holding one out to the rock Pokemon and taking a big lick of her own. Tanya weighed the merits of challenging the purchase, ultimately giving in. The price of a single scoop cone was less than the specialty bowl Mawile wanted but it was still over four hundred total.

Reluctantly she grabbed the offered cone and slipped the bills over the counter, only to have the majority returned to her.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Resident discount kiddo." Her eye twitched at the way he addressed her. "Thank your friend there."

"We're not-" Marie panicked and licked her already melting ice cream, preventing it from splotching on the ground. "Nevermind. Thanks, Monsieur Allard. I'll tell Mom you said hi."

"You do that. Now skedaddle and do whatever you kids do these days."

He waved them away and they took their exit, Marie leading the way again. Tanya had been curious at the man's ability to guess her preferred flavor. He seemed to have gotten Mawile correct if the rate at which she devoured hers was any indication. The standout was Carbink who gave a few half-hearted licks but didn't seem all too interested.

"Monsieur Allard's cool," Marie spoke in between managing the melting of her cone. "He managed to keep his stand and expand while the rest of us locals got pushed out. He treats us right. He might also have a thing for Mom…but I try not to think about that."

Tanya tasted a bit of her own. It wasn't as good as the actual thing but she'd take what she could get.

"This area was recently developed then?" All signs pointed to yes from what she'd seen.

Marie scowled, looking around angrily.

"It's the stupid tourists fault. They all flocked here. Mom used to live right on the water but ended up having to move."

"That's unfortunate," Tanya supplied after a moment.

Tourism brought in outside revenue but also raised the cost of living. Between the prices of everyday goods and increased taxes to maintain social structures used by a greater number of people, she understood how locals could feel marginalized. However, that was not the fault of the tourists but of the locals who could not adapt to the changing economic climate. It was a classic case of blaming others for your own failings, she knew better than to give voice to her thoughts.

"Eat quickly," Marie advised, polishing off her cone. "And watch out for the Wingull, they'll swoop you if you're not careful." She pointed to a group of several watching them. "Did you know they used to be invasive? The league ended up giving up because it was impossible to curb their numbers. They're a lot smarter than people think."

With the eagerness in which they studied her group, she wasn't sure that was the case. Any who attempted to swipe at her would be made an example of.

An impromptu tour started, with Marie pointing at various locations and saying what used to be there. Given her age, the actual knowledge probably came from her brother or parent.

Slowly but surely, they made their way across the city and towards their destination. At one point Mawile finished Carbink's cone before the gulls could try their luck.

Marie stopped in front of a three-story building and Tanya mentally compared it to what she'd looked up the day prior. Made completely out of glass with a silver engraving reading Coumarine Casters, they were clearly at the right place.

Her companion fiddled with her sun dress and Tanya recalled Mawile and Carbink. They'd be a liability around so much breakable material. Instead, Ralts was called back out.

"Keep an eye on what they're feeling," Tanya crouched next to the Pokemon and whispered. "If you think we're in danger, squeeze my hand twice."

The Pokemon nodded solemnly and Tanya rose. Marie seemed ready herself and they walked in, Tanya holding Ralts hand the entire way.

Cool air blasted them in the face, abating once they crossed the threshold. The interior was an open floor plan. Tall white tables stood with models resting on top. Grey ottomans were interspaced, providing some seating. There were two back doors and a staircase leading up. She spotted four cameras and mentally noted their locations.

Under her critical eye, Tanya identified this place as having the same architect as Team Flare's secret base.

Next, was the staff. Five of them intermingled with patrons. They were well dressed, in business attire but were not colored in Team Flare's distinctive color. Cognizant that not all was always as it appeared, she examined the patrons. None came off to her as undercover guards, which was a relief.

"Excuse me," One of the male employees walked over with large steps. "We're open for customers only. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

He ended with a plastic smile. Ralts did not squeeze but she could feel the displeasure waft off her.

"B-bu," Marie sputtered, eyes wide.

"That's nice," The man interrupted, gesturing to the door. "However, this isn't a playground. Please go home before we have to call the police."

Did they have no site security or was that a deception?

The last thing she needed was to have the authorities asking questions so she placed a hand on Marie's shoulder and was ready to lead them out.

"Stephen, be a dear and go help out the Mr. Atkins and his daughter over there." A woman in high heels and a pencil skirt walked over with urgency. "I can handle this."

Stephen seemed to chew on something before spinning on his heel and marching away with a scoff.

The woman bent down to be on their level and placed a hand on Marie's other shoulder, giving her a lopsided smile.

"Heya Marie. Sorry about that guy. We've had soo many complaints about him," She glanced around and then said in a conspiratorial whisper. "Between you and me I think he'll get canned soon."

Marie blinked rapidly before responding in a hesitant voice.

"Anna? I didn't know you were working here."

"It's a new gig." Anna rose to her full height, retracting her hand. Tanya followed suit, placing hers by her side. "The resort wasn't working for me. The out-of-towners tip well but you would not believe the messes I had to clean up. Some of them look like the aftermath of a Primeape rave."

The tenses from her shoulders receded and Marie returned to her usual disposition.

"We're here to purchase a Holo Caster." Tanya jumped in when the conversation had reached a lull, wanting to keep things moving. "We'd like to peruse your models."

There seemed to be a wide variety so it'd not be as simple of a choice as she expected.

"You picked the best and worst time for it." Anna smiled and led them to a table. "Here are the top sellers."

Tanya took stock of what they had. They were expensive no doubt, but compared to the price of ice cream…it wasn't as bad as she feared? She'd been window shopping on the walk over and the prices for goods were nonsensical to her.

"Wow." Marie stood on her toes to reach for a model. "Did these go down in price? I remember them being a lot more."

"That's the best of it." Anna reached over, pressing a button and causing the Holo Caster to burst to life. "The league recently classified them as an essential Trainer good so they're being subsidized now."

Subsidies. Another thing she wasn't exactly a fan of. If an industry couldn't stand on its own two feet then it should not stand at all. Still, there were the aforementioned homicidal Pokemon to contend with and the meat grinder required a steady flow of trainers.

"Cool." Marie stared at a hologram of herself, making faces for a moment before remembering she was not alone. "They come with the trainer apps right?"

"Yep, fully compatible. You get the dex, region maps, beacon, move database, the whole shebang really."

And a megalomaniac listening into your calls, but Tanya supposed that would make a poor pitch.

"How many do you have in stock?" Tanya got to the root of why she was here. "I heard there were some shortages?"

Anna gave a wry smile.

"And that's the worst of it. We're pretty much out of stock of everything besides the highest-tier models." She pointed at the end of the table which Marie had thankfully not paid any attention to. "We're expecting a shipment soonish. Within the month."

"It must be a challenge for them to supply so many different locations. How long do the trucks take to travel from here to Lumiose."

She was fishing, if Tanya knew how they were transported she wouldn't be here.

Anna shook her head, leaning one hand on the counter.

"Nah, they come in over the sea. They have a small container ship that comes around every now and then. Even have a warehouse near the docks. Not sure why they bother, we always take their full delivery and it doesn't last long."

Bingo. Had she been some years physically older she would have kissed the woman. She struggled not to get her hopes up but there was a large chance something shifty was happening in that warehouse.

"Speaking of the harbor." Anna drummed her finger on the table and her tone shifted. "How's that brother of yours Marie?"

The cheer on Marie's face drained and she leveled a flat stare towards the older girl.

"Oh come on," Anna whined like a child, giving a small stomp. "Don't be like that. Tell you what, put in a good word for me and I'll give you my employee discount."

Marie opened her mouth and then closed it. Her head turned to Ralts who tilted hers innocently.

"Your Pokemon's weird." She repeated the statement from earlier today. "But fine, I guess I can say a thing or two."

Anna brought Marie into a half hug, ruffling her hair and earning a squawk.

"You'll be calling me big sis in no time. Now here's what you need to say"