"This isn't a democracy."

Tanya had thought that went without saying. If the current situation was any indication, she'd be wrong about that.

Her group was huddled near a bench. It was located just off a path that ran through the park they were in. The city had a glut of public parks, and while she found that wasteful, she was thankful for the lack of congestion it caused. There were others present here, but they kept to their groups, and she was comfortable that the distance was far enough to afford her some privacy.

She was standing, facing the bench with her arms crossed. Her clothes were back to normal, and her pack rested at her feet; she'd retrieved it after managing to shake Theo.

Opposite to her was her team. Ralts sat politely on the bench, side by side with Mimikyu, who was still in the Mareep. Carbink floated level with the backrest, and Mawile… was balanced precariously on said backrest. Presumably, that was to best her in height.

"Wa! Maw!"

She tried to initiate again, raising her hand to signal her vote. Carbink, in lieu of hands, had a single ear up. Ralts and Mimikyu made no motions.

"Ile." The Pokemon nodded to herself, only to have to stick her hands out and waggle them as a stiff breeze threatened to topple her. Tanya was disappointed when she managed to maintain her position on the narrow perch. "Maw, wile."

Carbink's ear lowered at the same time Ralts' hand went up. Mimikyu remained motionless; for all she knew, the Pokemon was napping.

'Vote, Mama.'

Tanya ignored that, sending a withering glare towards Mawile. She'd made her decision; the Gible was not worth the effort.

"As I said, this isn't a democracy. I'm the trainer; what I say goes. You agreed to this when you signed the contract."

She'd gotten them all to sign variations of the one she made for Mimikyu. That Mawile hadn't read hers wasn't Tanya's problem.

"Ile!" Mawile started another vote, this one with more dangerous implications.

Thankfully, her hand was the only one raised in the air.

"Wile…" She directed at Carbink, who suddenly found the tree to their right very interesting. Mawile wasn't satisfied with that. She hopped onto the Pokemon and attempted to pry his ear into the upright position.

"Bin!" Carbink seemed more surprised than upset and twirled erratically.

"That's enough." Tanya approached the two, grabbing Mawile by the base of her black jaw and holding her aloft. It was quickly becoming her preferred method of handling the Pokemon. "We're not voting for who gets to be the trainer."

Back in her day, such talks of mutiny would end in a firing squad. Tanya shook her head at the thought; she wasn't even that old.

"Wa." Mawile didn't struggle this time and simply crossed her arms while shooting Tanya a look of indignation.

"Don't joke around like that. You're setting a bad example for the others." Mawile rolled her eyes, looking to the side. "And don't pretend to have noble intentions. You just want to increase the chance of something going wrong."

Tanya wondered if the Pokemon truly understood what consequences were. Not only did she live in the moment, but she seemed to incur joy in jeopardizing their long-term prospects. Had she not been a powerhouse, Tanya would have long since parted ways with the Pokemon.

"Bin, Bin?"

She turned to address the sole idealist in their group.

"We are helping. By delivering a letter to the relevant authorities, they'll be able to properly resolve this issue."

Now that she knew who owned the Gible, it would be even easier. They could simply purchase it back from the buyer and return it to the pack of dragons. Whatever it cost, she doubted it was more than the disruptions the unruly Pokemon were causing on the route.

Of course, the government being the government, she was sure they'd somehow muck it up.

But that wasn't her problem.

"Maw," her captive uttered with a grin.

"What do you mean, what letter?" Mawile had clearly seen her write it.

Something clicked, and she dropped the Pokemon. She crouched by her pack, going straight for the pocket she'd stored the note in.

It was empty.

"Ile." Mawile patted her stomach, pausing for a moment before releasing a burp.

She hoped the Pokemon got indigestion.

"I can write a new one."

It wouldn't even take too long; it wasn't a complex message. All Mawile had accomplished was to annoy her.

Her eyes narrowed upon realizing that may have been the goal.

"Tell you what," she lightened her tone to better hide her frustration. "If we complete our objective and are not at risk of being discovered, then we can see about rescuing the Gible."

Left out was the fact that Mawile wasn't spending a second out of her ball if she could help it.

Gible's new legal owner was a man named Arthur. Theo couldn't properly articulate what his occupation was, but he was in a contract negotiation with the boy's father for some media campaign. He was also staying in the same damn hotel, which made it awfully convenient to add the stray Pokemon to the list of things to take.

Tanya refused to be tempted. It was all too easy. She was close to calling the whole thing off. But, as long as she stuck to her original objective, there shouldn't be any issues.

"Bin!"

Right, he was also going in the ball the moment his job was done.

"Yes," Tanya cautiously confirmed. "But only on my explicit go-ahead. I don't care if you see the Gible yourself; you don't move an inch without my say-so. Is that absolutely clear?"

She stared at each of them, making sure they all gave their assent before continuing.

"Okay, I've had thoughts about how we can breach the hotel. The bigger problem is going to be keeping track of Louis. We know the locations he goes to often. Trailing him this coming week and finding out his general schedule is a good start but." She brought a hand to her chin, rubbing it in thought. "His lifestyle is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it means he's predisposed to be out of his hotel room, but on the other hand, we can't be certain of his whereabouts. He's unpredictable."

Once they timed transit points between the hotel and his frequented places, she could estimate a minimum time spent out. But what if he forgot something and decided to turn around? She'd been caught unaware at the warehouse, and she was not going to let it happen again.

They needed a way to track him. Ideally, she'd be able to plant some manner of bug on him. Unfortunately, she didn't have access to that type of technology. Perhaps the shady shopkeeper might have something, but she was wary of tipping her hand even further. Not to mention, she couldn't guarantee whatever he gave her was tamper-free. The only reason she was using the phone he provided her with was because he wouldn't have had the time to plant something in it.

'Mama.'

Tanya looked towards Ralts, who had stood, her hand outstretched. She followed the finger, seeing what it was pointing at.

"You just ate; we don't want to ruin your lunch," Tanya lectured the Pokemon she was beginning to think was a bit of a glutton. The occasional snack was fine and all, but she didn't want to find the Pokemon to only rely on that and then refuse to eat her proper meals.

"Wile," Mawile said while making a face.

Not a fan of pretzels then? She made a note of that for the future.

Tanya wasn't particularly enthused about the dish either. She'd had her fill of them in the Empire's service, and while she didn't dislike them, there were better alternatives to source those calories.

The two of them looked to be in the minority, with the pretzel cart being fairly busy. It was the busiest part of the park, with the woman manning it serving customer after customer. Humans were not the only enjoyers either; aside from the occasional Pokemon sharing a bite with their trainer, the ever-present Wingulls sat at the sides, ready to swoop in if the opportunity presented it.

They were really an epidemic, blanketing the city with their sheer numbers.

'Coerce.'

Tanya was at a loss for words. There was something deeply wrong with Ralts. Why would they be coercing a cart vendor of all things? They weren't some delinquents!

"Ralts, if you want one that badly, we can buy one."

She needed to find some trainers willing to do unofficial matches, or else her liquidity was going to continue to deteriorate.

A strange feeling was transmitted; it almost felt like embarrassment, but there was something off about it.

"Bin?" Carbink perked up, looking at the cart closely before bouncing up twice. "Ink, ink!"

Carbink bounded forward, toward the cart. Tanya was about to recall him when she noticed the direction he was headed was at a slight angle to the vendor.

More accurately, he was headed for the Wingulls…

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Oh.

Tanya schooled her expression, being acutely aware of the stares on her.

Ralts hopped off the bench, padding forward and stopping at her leg. She soon felt gentle pats against her thigh.

It didn't help.

----------------------------------------

Tanya would never look at birds the same way again.

She was kicking herself for the oversight; she knew Pokemon were intelligent beings. She had just never taken the extra step and realized they could self organize.

But the evidence for that sat in front of her.

They were at the northmost tip of the city now, in an area yet to be fully developed. The sound of crashing waves was a constant reminder to the ocean that lay a few meters down from the cliff they were near the edge of.

Perched on a stone as if it were some dais, was the fattest Pelipper she'd ever seen. With the way its bulk spilled out of its flanks, Tanya doubted in its ability to fly.

"Thank you for meeting with me." She kept its gaze while giving a bow of respect.

She didn't have a good idea of what was appropriate here, but given that they were surrounded by Wingulls and other Pelipper, she wanted to avoid ruffling any feathers, so to speak.

The Pelipper's gaze turned towards Tanya's right.

Next to her was a disturbingly focused Mawile. One she was quick to elbow.

"Don't even think of it," she whispered.

"Maw," she replied and pointed at something Tanya had been doing her best to ignore.

"I'll get you a hat," Tanya replied while placing a hand on the Pokemon's head. "Now show some respect."

Reluctantly, the Pokemon's head dipped down.

Tanya looked back to the obese seagull wearing a bowler hat. She wasn't sure where it had gotten it and was very much not going to ask.

"Wing, win," One of the Wingulls they met at the park flew up to the Pelliper and then continued in a low voice. "Gul, gul."

The Pelipper closed its eyes, nodding at the words.

When Ralts had brought up the possibility of leveraging the local bird Pokemon population to track her target, she wasn't opposed. She'd actually thought it was a good use of her limited resources. Wild Pokemon were an unserved market; she could negotiate on favorable terms and give them access to things otherwise difficult to come by. Name brand food mainly.

It had started well too, with Carbink approaching a trio of Wingull. One of them had flown off in a rush, but the other two agreed to lead them to their boss.

The word 'boss' should have been her first clue. She hadn't thought they were being literal.

Or at least, it felt rather literal with the way the others of his flock acted. They were scattered across the cliff, watching and whispering amongst themselves. Some were also perched on rocks, but none of their seats were as large or tall as their boss' throne.

Walking into this may not have been the wisest of actions, but she hadn't known there would be so many of them. There was a persistent fog that obstructed their true numbers until it was too late.

'Decapitation strike.'

Yes, if it came down to it, that would be a prudent opening move…

Tanya looked down at the green-haired Pokemon by her side. She'd considered leaving Ralts in her ball, but her ability to sense emotions would be a useful warning system for potential conflict. Perhaps it was naive of her to believe the tiny vessel of violence would not initiate it on her own.

She decided against recalling her; someone needed to still hold Mimikyu, and Tanya preferred to keep her hands free.

Movement from the Pelipper caught her eye, and she watched its beak convulse. The oversized orange bill opened, and something shot out, rolling across the ground and coming to a stop near her.

Tanya released the grip on her knife after seeing that the projectile happened to be a half-eaten berry.

She stared at it with perplexity until a Wingull flew out and landed near it, nudging it all the way to her feet with its smaller beak.

"Gull, ing," it explained and flew back to its position.

It took a great deal of effort not to show the revulsion on her face.

An elbow hit her side, its source being a smug-looking Mawile.

Seconds ticked by without her moving a muscle, and her host began to grow agitated. Squaks, little hops, and more blatant whispers could all be seen.

This could be a problem. Tanya turned around to look at Carbink who tilted his head.

Right, she'd never seen him eat, and she doubted this would be the moment he broke that trend. The only other way out was tugging at her pant leg and conveying a sense of excitement.

Tanya released a sigh, reaching down and doing what had to be done. She bit into an area of the berry that had no marks, and her tongue was assaulted with a tangy taste. She forced it down, plastering a smile on her face.

"Your hospitality is most gracious."

The fat on the bird jiggled, and he flapped his wings once, quieting the group.

"Pel, per."

What these guest rights she'd just been granted was unknown to her, but it did let some tension leave her.

Some, not all. She wasn't a fool after all.

"If you would allow me." She made to reach for her pocket and paused, continuing only when she received a nod. She produced a neatly folded piece of paper. "I've long since heard of your influence in the city." The flattery flowed from her mouth. It wasn't completely fabricated but it was a generous interpretation of the grumbles she'd heard tourist give about the nuisances Wingulls were. "I'm here to solicit your aid in tracking this individual of this picture. Is this something we can come to an arrangement on?"

Pelipper gestured, and a Wingull swooped down, taking the printout. It landed on Pelipper's beak and held the page to its eyes. Another gesture and the Wingull went back to where it came.

The bird wobbled from side to side, seemingly weighing its options.

"Peli, er."

She didn't know what a poffin was, let alone where to get a shipping container's worth of them. This whole scenario was growing increasingly shaky.

"I see," she said diplomatically. "That may be difficult on my end. Are there alternatives you have in mind?"

Pelipper gave what she thought was a scoff before waving a wing at her.

"Lipp, per."

It was like that then.

Fine. She didn't like the way this was going anyway.

"If that's the case," she paused upon sensing a shift in the flock.

Beaks turned one by one toward the sea. Mawile stepped in front of her, cracking her kneck and rolling her shoulders.

Through the fog, dark shapes slowly grew clearer. Wingulls and Pelipper burst onto the scene, circling ominously above.

Tanya thought she was about to be in the middle of some territorial dispute between rival flocks when Ralts' transmission shed some light.

'Boss' boss.'

How well organized were these birds?

The newcomers landed one by one. There weren't any overt disputes over the rock perches; some existing tenants vacated while others simply shuffled to the side, allowing a Wingull or Pelipper to take residence with them.

One of the new Pelippers took a seat close to the fat one. As far as the species went, it looked unremarkable. The only thing to tell her otherwise was the awkwardness that came over the 'boss.'

'Baby.' Ralts pointed at the 'boss' and then moved the finger to the newcomer. 'Parent.'

Ah, that's what she meant.

"Bink, bin!" Carbink floated forward, meeting with one of the new arrivals.

They chirped amongst themselves, and Tanya picked up that this Wingull was from the park. It had split off to inform this other group of her presence. She wasn't sure why that was the case.

The parent didn't say anything, merely holding its wings to its sides and leveling a disappointed glare toward the overweight bird. It shook its head, turning to Tanya's group and inspecting each of them.

"Pelip, pel," It said, seemingly satisfied with what it saw. "Lipper."

What?

There had to be a catch, some hidden condition.

It couldn't just agree with no strings attached.

A soft look entered it—no, her eyes—and she continued.

"Pel, lip."

From one mother to another, huh? She was sure Garchomp would have appreciated the sentiment. It was a pity she wasn't planning on passing the message.

Still, as long as it served her purposes, she didn't mind misleading the Pokemon.

"Right, we can't leave a hatchling out in the cold."

Mawile grumbled, kicking the dirt in frustration after being denied another fight.

That Pokemon really was a handful to deal with.

The interaction between the Pelippers came to the forefront of her mind. There was a pattern emerging of Pokemon being deferential to mother figures. The same could be seen in humans, but it struck her as more prominent among these creatures.

That was… interesting.