"Is this all you have?"

Tanya looked at the selection of weapons provided to her. She found the word 'underwhelming' the best way to describe them.

The collection of blades in front of her wasn't bad per se but a not-so-small part of her was still hoping he'd have something with some more stopping power. It was mostly survival knives with the largest piece being a machete.

"We got some heavy-duty flashlights if you want to check those out." Tanya frowned slightly. That wasn't what she was looking for. "Don't knock them. They can knock someone out."

The shopkeeper fell into a bit of laughter in response to his own poor wordplay. Tanya didn't comment on it, allowing the man some slack. Her request must have been more difficult than she anticipated because the man was clearly sleep-deprived. His eyes were red and his reaction speed was noticeably dull. He also had an earthy odor indicating he may have done some outdoor reconnaissance.

Stoutland was worse. It was resting on its back with glazed eyes, its legs kicking up at random intervals.

The shopkeeper mumbled something about him eating almost the entirety of the first batch, she didn't know what that meant and promptly ignored it.

Her hand reached towards a particular knife. She tossed it in her hands a few times before flicking her wrist; the kunai sunk into a wooden shelf post. She'd dismissed it as a toy at first glance but it was properly weighted. She picked up the shuriken next and a metallic clang sounded as it bounced off where the kunai was embedded.

Tanya retracted the hand reaching for the next projectile. Having never used one her aim was off by a few centimeters, she'd have to practice with them. There was a gulp heard behind her indicating she'd not gotten away with the mediocre display of marksmanship.

"I didn't expect to find these here."

Tanya brushed past her embarrassment and inquired as to the presence of the weapons from her original homeland.

"Huh? Oh, yeah…" The man blinked some before continuing. "No ninjas here. They're more of a thing in Kanto. And Sinnoh. And Hoenn." He held out his fingers and paused to count them again. "They are actually a lot more common than I thought. That's crazy."

She followed the man's gaze to find him staring at nothing. Had she known he'd been this tired Tanya would have been open to pushing back their meeting a few hours. She'd been patient for a week, a little longer wouldn't have killed her.

Her pant leg was tugged and she looked down at Ralts who had picked out a knife of her own. Tanya checked her waist finding hers still safely secured, which meant Ralts had somehow found an identical knife in the pile.

Well, it was a good knife.

"It's a bit large for you but you'll grow into it."

Hopefully. At the very least evolution should get her some inches.

'Like Mama?'

Tanya put on a strained smile, both at the address and the implication. She'd been working on expanding Ralts use of words but had yet to get the Pokemon to call her 'Tanya'.

"I didn't take enough for this." The voice across the counter muttered. It continued before she could question it. "Here's the other stuff."

He didn't elaborate further and tossed a non-descript folder in between them. Tanya dragged it towards her, resisting the urge to pour over it now. She didn't want to give away which name in the packet had attracted her interest.

'This for Mimi.'

Ralts transmission prompted her attention and she saw a small pocket knife held up. It was reasonably compact so it would be easy to conceal, but the Pokemon's claws could carve stone so it seemed redundant.

"Okay. We'll get that as well." She didn't voice her objections. Tanya liked to learn from her mistakes and while she stood by the coat being illogical, she understood that was not how Mawile saw it. Acquiescing to a small purchase to avoid a repeat was a sound decision. "Speaking of him, do you know where they are right now?"

She presumed Ralts had communicated with Mimikyu telepathically but the Pokemon was not with them in the front, he'd been carried by Mawile somewhere else in the store. No new skylights had been added to the roof and the shelves hadn't been toppled so she reasoned everything was alright.

Belatedly, she realized how far the bar had fallen for her. She wasn't sure how she'd be able to live with herself if any member of the 203rd saw her current state.

Tanya followed the raised finger, seeing nothing amiss. She was about to turn back to the counter when the trio came barreling through the aisle.

"Slow down, don't break anything!" Her yell didn't stop their pace but she did notice more care put in their steps not to knock into anything.

Carbink precariously balanced a plastic bin on his head. Mawile followed behind, holding Mimikyu in one hand and dragging a sledgehammer with the other.

That thing was huge! Where did she even find it?

"Ma."

Her flat-out refusal got stuck in her throat, she'd just thought about not repeating mistakes but there was a difference between a pocket knife and a meter-long bludgeoning instrument.

She turned to the shopkeeper, hoping he'd say it wasn't for sale.

He was munching on chips, having produced a bag from somewhere while she'd been looking away. He must have skipped some meals while carrying out his task.

He stared at her blankly and she had to snap her fingers before he jolted out of whatever thoughts were in his mind and responded.

"Thas for roadwork."

Roadwork? Most of the routes were unpaved trails.

"Ma."

The question was repeated and Tanya signed before relenting.

"Fine, you can have it."

Her words were followed by a thump as Mawile dropped the handle and continued on without a care.

"Ile. Ma."

That habit of testing her was annoying but at this point, she was just relieved she'd not have to walk around with something so conspicuous.

Her eyes moved to the box, as much as it pained her, she needed to know what was in it.

"Carbink, set it down."

There was no fuss and he angled himself to deposit it on the counter. Tanya's fingers curled around the lid with apprehension and she yanked it open.

Contrary to her expectations, there was nothing nefarious included inside. Rather, it was the exact opposite with dolls stuffed within. Disguises for Mimikyu she surmised, they'd talked about it but this was a bit much.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"We don't need this many Pokemon Dolls."

"Nah." The man spoke while chewing. "Real dolls got lots of cool stuff to attract Pokemon, these are knockoffs. They're for…"

He halted, waiting for her confirmation. She gave it.

"Long as you never bring him in here wearing that again," He pointed a crumb-coated finger toward Mimikyu while avoiding looking in his direction. "Take em."

These handouts were becoming easier to stomach and she wasn't sure how to feel about that. Still, all it was was cloth and soon-to-be-removed stuffing. Not exactly things of value.

"Thank you, but I really don't understand your aversion to him. Mimikyu is-" She stopped herself from saying 'harmless' as that was a lie neither of them would believe. "Well behaved."

It was a tie between him and Ralts for most obedient. Carbink would have rated higher if he wasn't susceptible to the bad influence Mawile was. They'd been sneaking off together recently and she pretended not to hear the explosions resulting from whatever secret training they were doing. Deliberately keeping herself in the dark was unlike her but sacrifices needed to be made to maintain what sanity she stubbornly held onto.

"Stories, we thought they were just stories," the shopkeeper mumbled with a haunted look in his eyes. "They weren't."

Her curiosity was piqued.

"What type of stories are you talking about?"

He seemed to lose himself for a moment before continuing in a hesitant voice.

"Ula'ula legends. Old folks used to peddle them around and a couple of us decided to track one down. We didn't think…"

He trailed off but she didn't think much of it, her mind already wandering.

Ula'ula.

Wasn't that part of the name of the derelict ship she'd encountered on the island? It could have been a coincidence but she suspected it wasn't. Which meant the doll might be the eldest among them, well it explained his maturity compared to the rest.

The shopkeeper was in some manner of daze. They'd negotiated prior so she recalled her team and made for the exit.

"Hey," His voice called, it was distant and she surmised he was not all there. "From one person who sticks their nose where it doesn't belong to another, be careful with whatever you're doing. Some dangerous people in there." The man suddenly burst out in laughter and she looked at him in confusion. "Second batch must be kicking in, totally forgot who or what I was talking to. Have at it kid."

Tanya felt like she should take offense to that.

—

"I refuse."

Tanya plainly laid out her position and briskly walked away from the startled teen.

"But we met eyes you have too-"

Their voice faded into the wind and she didn't deign to look back. It was the third request she'd gotten and she was beginning to wish she'd stayed out in the boonies. She wasn't sure what had gotten into everyone but suddenly there was an uptick in trainers running around and looking to pick fights. She was more than happy to take the easy money but everyone who'd run into her either wanted it 'on the record' or didn't have cash on hand. Given she had no trainer card or electronic bank account, the offers weren't tempting. Aside from Mimikyu carried in her arms, the rest had been recalled. She didn't want them dragging her into anything.

She nearly made it out of the city when a vaguely familiar voice came from the side.

"I challenge you to a Pokemon battle."

Tanya turned to see Marco leaning against a lampost with his arms crossed.

"I'm afraid I have other things to attend to."

She replied curtly and began to walk away. Annoyingly, he kicked off the lamppost and his long legs made it so that he overtook her.

"As the best big bro on the block, I can't accept that." He stood in her way, Pokeball in his hand. "While she's a pain to deal with, Marie deserves more than being ghosted. Don't know why you did it but it's my job to avenge her honor. Now come on, I know a discreet court near here."

There was nothing to avenge, Tanya had made good on her promise to pay for the phone. Sure, she'd given the girl a fake number but she wasn't interested in running around with children.

Marco set out and Tanya chose the opposite direction, it wasn't long before he caught up.

"You're not one for tradition are you?" He spoke from her side, looking at her curiously. "It's a bit of a faux pas to just walk off from a proper challenge."

That explained the slackjawed reactions she'd gotten. It must have been a norm born out of their obsession with trainers. She wondered if Kalos was unique in this aspect or if other regions shared that bit of culture.

"Aren't you a veteran trainer? It would be foolish for me to attempt to content against you."

Privately, she wondered how she would actually fare. That Rhydon was imposing but Mawile was no slouch.

"Sheesh, with that attitude you'll never make ace."

She'd been known as the Ace of Aces in the past, she wasn't in any hurry to reclaim that title. The limelight had never suited her.

"I told you I'm just traveling right now. I'm not looking to be a professional trainer."

He fell silent for a time and Tanya continued her march forward, hoping he'd lose interest. She should have known better.

"You're a weird kid." She was beginning to become tired of being called that. "I was mostly joking about the battle but you should really call Marie, it's not cool to leave her hanging like that."

Tanya doubted he would have the same attitude if he knew associating with her could result in being entangled in a region-wide conspiracy.

"Noted, now are you going to keep following me? If so I'll yell when the next stranger comes by. I imagine they'll be interested as to why you are chasing a young girl into a route."

They'd left the city at this point. She'd missed the turn-off for her current camp but she was not about to lead someone to it willingly.

"I think calling you weird might be understating it. Either way, I said my piece. I gotta head back to the city, and an old friend needs some help moving some thin-"

His voice was cut off by an insistent beeping coming from his waist. Tanya observed as he quickly retrieved a device. Whatever he discovered was disturbing if the way his grip tightened and his eyes narrowed was any indication.

His head shot up and swiveled, stopping in the direction further into Route 13. Red light flashed and a cry filled the field, a larger-than-average Lairon materializing. It pawed at the ground and searched for threats, eventually locking its blue eyes onto her as the only other person in the vicinity.

"Wile?"

Mawile released herself and stared at the other Pokemon while rubbing her chin, a thoughtful look on her. With Mimikyu in her arms and a knife on her belt, Tanya wasn't defenseless but she appreciated Mawile getting between the two of them.

Marco hauled himself onto the steel carapace.

"No time to explain," Tanya felt if he could read it that quickly then there was plenty of time. "Head back to the city for now. And for Arceus' sake text Marie."

He kicked on the Pokemon's flank and Lairon reared back before his bulk crashed to the ground and he stampeded forward.

Tanya and company were left on the road, staring at Marco's back.

"Any idea what that was about?"

Mawile shrugged in response.

"Whatever it is, it's not our problem. Let's go back to camp and go through this file."

—

Louis Dubois, the black duck of the Dubois family. A Marquis family, they dated back to the founding of Kalos and made their fortune in shipbuilding. The family may not be as prominent as they were in their heyday but they still held full ownership of a medium-sized shipping company that had contracts in multiple regions.

As the third son, Louis would not be inheriting the empire but nepotism would ensure him a smooth ascension up the company ladder. Or it would have if he'd not been too preoccupied with partying and gambling. As it were, he was on paper a 'Senior Manager' but had little to no actual responsibility.

Unfortunately, he had just enough to edit a ship manifest and even reroute smaller vessels if he whined hard enough. He did both regularly in the service of Team Flare.

Had they a proper corporate governance structure those sorts of actions would never have been possible but that was the danger with family-owned businesses.

'Kill?'

She was asking this time; that was an improvement, right?

Ralts sat on her lap, playing with her new knife. The dying embers of their campfire illuminated them. The sun was setting and it was about time to quash it for good.

"No, we need a lighter touch this time. He lives in a hotel but his lifestyle means he's away for many hours at a time. I'm thinking we can break into his hotel room first and then decide on any further action based on what we gather."

There were greater odds that the more sensitive information would be held in his head but hard records were safer to procure and easier to disseminate.

"Ile." Mawile sat with her legs crossed and nodded sagely. "Wile."

"I didn't mean breaking down the door or wall," she hastily rectified that line of thinking. "We'd be picking the lock."

That wasn't a skill she currently possessed but how hard could it be?

Mawile huffed in displeasure. She'd probably be sitting on the bench for this, not every operation needed a hammer.

Tomorrow, she'd check out the nightclubs he frequented and the hotel. This time, they were going to do things the proper way.

"Ma?" The steel type asked with a tilt of her head.

A sense of curiosity came over from Ralts.

Without Marie's discount, she'd not be going to the same place. However, Louis was wealthy and she now had a way to move ill-gotten goods. She didn't want to make a habit of stealing but he was a criminal, she would be doing society a favor by reallocating his assets under her.

"I suppose, if everything goes well we can go for ice cream."

It was a big if and she'd have to do everything possible to stack the deck in her favor. She could admit to being a tad more confident after a week of drilling.

Ralts yawned. It was relatively early but extra sleep wasn't a bad idea.

"Let's get ready for bed then, where is Carbink?"

It wasn't the first time she'd asked that question. His wandering was approved but he did have a curfew. He'd yet to go over but it was nearing that point.

She was going to be fairly cross if she had to go looking for him.

"Bin!"

Ah, there he was.

Tanya turned to where his call had come from. Between the trees hung what should have been the black canvas of night; it was marred with a splattering of yellow orbs.

Mawile cracked her knuckles, a knife floated up under Ralts' power, and Mimikyu sat still as ever.

As for Tanya? She was wondering if she should have stipulated a rule prohibiting inviting 'friends' over, it wasn't even dinner time.

At least, she hoped it wasn't.