"Where are we going? This is kind of far for a Pokemon battle."

Tanya considered her unwitting captive's question. It wasn't difficult, given she'd been asking it herself repeatedly since the night's activities kicked off.

Things had gone to hell quickly and only seemed to deteriorate as the night continued. After incpacitating the Skarmory, they'd limped into the outer part of the city with the bike.

Emphasis on limped, as the bike did not come out of the collision unscathed and gave out shortly after. She would have preferred for it to last longer, but given it was most likely being tracked, she wasn't too upset.

Getting past the quieter part of the city wasn't difficult for someone who'd already visited several times in the past week, and she breathed a sigh of relief the second she stepped into the forest section of Route 13.

She'd jumped the gun.

"My brother's going to wonder where I went…"

Tanya couldn't decide if that was a threat or a statement of fact, but it wouldn't change anything.

"Keep walking; we're almost there."

Tonight had been a disaster, the only mitigating factor being that it would be difficult to identify her.

Or at least, it would have if someone had minded their own damn business.

Marie hadn't been idle the past couple of weeks and had apparently poked around enough to know the general vicinity of her camps. Tanya suspected she tracked the deforestation or had her brother assist in part of the search.

What was galling was that she hadn't even found the campsite; she'd just gotten close enough to stumble into Tanya.

A Tanya she recognized despite still wearing her infiltration gear and, more importantly, one carrying a recently stolen Gible.

The saving grace was that news of her exploits hadn't spread that quickly, so other than being confused about her state of dress and cargo, she hadn't questioned when Tanya claimed there was a good area for a battle up ahead.

It was clear Tanya had underestimated the tenacity of the girl. Though tenacity was a generous word to use, she could have easily substituted stupidity or stubbornness for it.

Tanya couldn't rightfully put the full blame on the girl. After all, she was the idiot who had gotten herself spotted. Not to mention the stupid culture of this world that dictated all conflicts to be resolved by Pokemon battles.

What kind of logic was that?

If someone gave you a fake number and then made no effort to reach out, it would be natural to assume they wanted nothing to do with you. Why would you then track them down and demand a Pokemon battle?

How was that supposed to solve anything? They wouldn't magically like you now that you either (A) beat them or (B) lost to them.

They hardly knew each other!

Had Tanya not been dealing with her current issues, her first step would have been to file a restraining order. Unfortunately, she predicted it would be a while before she could walk into a police precinct.

"Maybe we should turn back; traveling the route at night is a bad idea. Especially with all of the alerts that have gone off this past week. We might run into something dangerous."

She was counting on that last bit.

They made it about twenty meters in cherished silence before Marie followed up.

"We're not having a battle, are we?" Whether just now realizing it or deciding to voice a long-since reached conclusion, Marie asked the obvious. "Can you tell me what's going on now?"

She could very well explain, but today had taken a mental toll, and she thought it was easier for her actions to do the talking.

"It's not much further," Tanya replied. "You'll understand soon enough."

Returning the Gible was one thing; deciding what to do with her witness afterward was more complicated.

In the spur of the moment, detaining the girl was the most obvious course. They weren't too far from the city, and she couldn't have Marie running back and alerting the authorities as to where she was.

The girl really shouldn't have been out here in the first place. Accidents must have happened all the time.

Didn't they?

Slowly but surely, the grass and trees gave way to clay and rock. Without the use of aura to grant her night vision, she couldn't see the arid expanse before them.

She knew it was the same all, having done her research.

The Lumiose Badlands, a massive plane of rugged terrain featuring numerous plateaus. There was no 'official' path through it on account of the native life deciding to redecorate every now and then.

Tanya was not looking forward to trekking through it, but the other options would be to either backtrack to Shalour City via Route 12 or cut through the untamed wilderness to reach Route 14. Neither of those sounded appealing to her.

Her package squirmed, struggling to get out of her arms. When that failed, it opened its large mouth and gave a piercing wail.

"IBLE!"

Tanya dropped the thing, backing up. She looked to her protection, only to find Mawile still sulking.

"Focus," She'd been like that ever since they left it. "It wasn't even your bike."

"Maw…" The Pokemon held her hands behind her back, looking at the ground. Her eyes traced up to Tanya, and she tilted her head. "Wile?"

How did we get from coats to this?

"No, maybe next time you wont break-" Tanya stopped herself cold, shaking the ridiculous off of her. "We're not taking another."

She released Carbink and Ralts. They'd been stored away for a smoother travel experience.

Disapproval wafted off of Ralts as the diminutive Pokemon stared at the crying Gible.

"Should I call Bonsly?" Marie asked with a tinge of worry.

Truth be told, the girl was handling this all better than she expected. But that may be because she had very little idea of what was actually going on.

"You may," she responded dismissively. It wasn't like the bonsai tree impersonator would make any difference.

Tanya kept half an eye on the girl and her Pokemon while inspecting the desert. They'd never agreed upon a meetup location; the pack would find her.

She was preparing to advance into the rough terrain when Ralts shifted.

'Nine O'clock.'

Ralts deserved a reward after tonight. She'd performed excellently during their search and displayed good judgment when things went sideways. The latter was an invaluable skill.

Tanya tensed, ready to contend with a hostile wild Pokemon. That readiness waned when she saw the fins rise through the red clay. It was disturbing to see how quickly they managed to move through the earth.

"What are-"

Marie's words died in a gulp as one by one the members of the pack rose out of the ground.

Clumps of dirt clung to their hides, and they gave muted growls as they inspected the surroundings.

Perhaps she missed it the first time, but she noticed how members of the pack shifted their snouts in different directions.

Were they splitting vectors to focus on?

Was it intentional or accidental?

She cut off the line of thought as one of the Garchomps, not the matriarch, stepped forward.

The Gible ran towards it. Tanya watched as the Garchomp rested two forelimbs on the ground and lowered its head.

With its tiny arms outstretched and tears in its eyes, Gible looked ready to embrace what Tanya deduced was its mother.

"CHOMPPPPPPPPP!" A roar knocked the hatchling back, causing it to roll in a ball. Garchomp was on it soon, stamping a foot next to it and continuing her tirade. "Gar! Gar! Chomp!"

Tanya found the scene oddly relatable.

The Gible blinked rapidly, forcing the tears out of its eyes. The sniffles stopped, and it took a deep breath.

"IBLEEEE!"

It roared back in kind, though it was almost comical given the difference between them.

"Garrrrr." The Garchomp rumbled, rubbing the hatchling's head and drawing it in close.

There was a tug on her pants leg, and the familiar action caused Tanya to instinctively begin stroking the green hair.

"Aweeeeeee." The girl's cooing grew strained as heads snapped in her direction. Marie took a step back, with Bonsly hiding behind the trainer they were meant to defend.

Tanya waited with bated breath to see how the pack would react. To her disappointment, the matriarch snorted, and the rest of the pack promptly lost interest in the girl.

Nature running its course might have made things simpler, but she supposed it would be too coincidental if a local was harmed by Garchomps around the same time as one was stolen.

Although they were roughly the same height. Would it be possible to frame it as Marie being responsible for the theft?

She cast the thought aside; there were too many holes in that story.

The pack crowded the rescued Pokemon, sniffing, licking, and nudging their errant member.

"Bin?" Carbink asked, and Tanya gave a gesture indicating assent. "Car!"

He joined the huddle, being promptly latched onto by one of the Gabites.

"They're so cute," Marie said in a low voice, learning from the outburst before. "But, uh, shouldn't we be going? Garchomp aren't known for being friendly." She paused, shifting her head between the pack and her. She continued with widened eyes. "The alerts must have been about Garchomp! They were looking for their baby."

She was only just now piecing that together? Those warnings must have been vague.

Ralts pressed into her hand. If the Pokemon had more experience, maybe she would have been able to remove all memories associated with Tanya. That would have been an elegant solution compared to what she was leaning toward.

'Hero Mama.'

What nonsense was Ralts badgering her with?

"You rescued Gible!" Marie gave a muted, if excited, shout.

Oh. Cogs began to turn in Tanya's head.

She was no stranger to spinning things, having done it in both her previous worlds.

And now, through dubious circumstances, she realized her actions could be viewed in a humanitarian light. Or was it environmentalism? Either way, these were strange times.

None of that meant she was averse to twisting the narrative to her advantage.

As she was thinking, Marie's face morphed into a frown.

"But how did you even know?"

Right, it wasn't normal for people to be able to discuss with Pokemon. Gurkinn had the ability, but he didn't strike her as normal, and she had enough self-awareness to know normal might not apply to her either.

'Mama Fairy.'

That bit of slander aside, Tanya was reminded she had the perfect explanation at hand. She wasn't ready to commit yet, but it was worth exploring to see if it would work in the first place.

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

She took a moment to cement her story internally before opening her mouth.

"Carbink ran into a Gabite, and then Ralts here translated." She paused, shifting her tone to a higher pitch. "I couldn't just sit by and do nothing." That was true; she'd actively tried to avoid getting involved. "But then I found out his new owner was abusive." There was zero proof that was the case, but she'd saved his life. The least he could do was allow himself to get thrown under a figurative bus. "And I had to act."

This next part was dicey; there was little way to dress it up.

"I stole him." She didn't even have to fake the sound of regret in her tone. "Things didn't go as." She was about to say planned but that would imply the crime was premeditated. "Things got out of hand, and there was a fire. While I managed to get Gible to safety, there was a mix-up with the police. They ended up chasing me, and I think some of them got hurt." She was fairly certain about that. "But I had to get Gible back to its family."

She finished with wide but determined eyes, her hands curled into fists. Did she go over the top or not far enough? Should she have thrown some tears in the mix?

"I…" Marie trailed off, and Tanya increased the force with which she patted Ralts' head. "Totally get it!"

Tanya blinked, looking to Ralts, who sent her a feeling of admiration.

Did that mean the girl genuinely believed her?

Crap, now she had to actually think through it.

Her head buzzed with activity, and she imagined a future.

A future where Team Flare had successfully been exposed and subsequently dismantled. People would start digging into their history, going through records like personal files. That Admin would become a known quantity, and it took just one person to link her to him. Then loads of uncomfortable questions will arise.

Which meant she needed to have a defense the public could get behind. Returning a Pokemon to its family, even if it wasn't necessarily legal, was the type of feel-good story those suckers would eat up and then ask for seconds of.

Laying the groundwork for that now seemed prudent. When it finally came to light, someone to corroborate her good deed wouldn't be amiss.

It was still a risk, and one she wasn't thrilled about having to stomach. Not satisfied, she approached it from the angle of a worst-case scenario.

If the girl disappeared, then Tanya could potentially be held liable. That type of criminal charge would be enough to brand her an outlaw for life, making this whole endeavor moot. There was a low chance of it happening, but that's why this was a thought experiment.

On the other end, letting her go could result in Team Flare learning of her continued existence. It would be sacrificing the element of surprise, but that was due to expire eventually anyway.

Yes, if she looked at it that way, then letting the girl go was the logical solution.

"Is something wrong?" Unaware her life had just been spared, Marie asked with a tilt of her head. "You look like you ate something bad."

Tanya wiped the look off her face and forced a smile.

"Nothing; I'm just happy you understand."

There was no time for follow-ups as the matriarch lumbered forward with heavy steps.

Tanya stood still, not wanting to spook her. Dragons might be assholes, but they were straightforward about it. They wouldn't randomly attack their benefactor.

Right?

She looked to her shield, who was happily chatting with a Gabite, and then her hammer, who was drawing circles in the dirt.

Mimikyu's weight in her arms shifted the slightest amount, enough to be natural while telling her he was still there. At the same time, Ralts patted her knife holster. The knife itself didn't move, and she took that as a positive sign.

Garchomp loomed over her, releasing a breath of hot air through her snout that caused Tanya's beanie to fly off.

The dragon lowered its head until it was level with Tanya's eyes. She held the stare.

Was this some sort of dominance display? Was Tanya meant to blink or not?

Why couldn't Garchomp just use her words? What was the point of them otherwise?

A scene flashed in her mind, and it took great restraint not to glance at Ralts.

When did she learn how to do that? In any case, she knew what to do now.

Tanya leaned forward, angling her chin down. The action was mirrored by the dragon, and skin meant scale.

She wasn't sure how long they'd held that position when the dragon arched back, approval in her eyes.

This had better be the lead-up to one hell of a reward.

"Gar, Chomp."

Compliments were nice, but she wasn't bought that easily.

"I gave you my word." That she hadn't intended to follow through on. "I'm just happy we can have this reunion; things could have ended very differently."

It occurred to her that she might want to be more forthcoming about her expectations considering her audience.

Sadly, both of them were interrupted by a party that was meant to be on her side.

"Carb, Bink!"

He wasn't wrong; she just wasn't planning on mentioning that part.

Garchomp looked at Carbink with confusion before moving back to Tanya.

Denial was easy, but they had helped. It would be wrong to not grant them credit.

"That's right, thanks for reminding me, Carbink." She would thank him personally later. "I did have aid from a flock in the city. Their matriarch sends her regards."

That earned a bout of mutterings and general sounds of disbelief.

A whack of the matriarch's tail silenced them.

"Gar, chomp." She acknowledged the large bills as she called them and then gestured with her right fin. "Omp."

A Gabite dragged a burlap sack forward, and Tanya's eyes lit up. It dragged across the ground, clearly heavily laden.

Weren't there stories of dragons hoarding wealth? Was she about to be stupidly wealthy?

The Gabite stopped in front of her, and she realized she was well familiar with it.

She couldn't claim to remember all of her opponents, but putting a dragon in a chokehold was a memorable experience.

It heaved the bag and landed in between them, kicking up a cloud of dirt.

Tanya's heart beat with anticipation. Unlike what she had in the duffle bag, this would probably be 'clean' loot.

"Chomp." There was more? "Garch."

The Gabite huffed, crossing her arms and looking toward the side.

A guide through the badlands would be welcome, but could she pick a different one?

"Chompppp," She roared to the heavens, and Tanya took that as a 'no'. The rest of the pack joined in the protracted roar, causing the very ground to tremble.

Forelimbs, tails, and feet stamped on the ground. It was somewhat like what they'd done for the 'duel', except this was lighter? More upbeat.

'Celebration,' Ralts dutifully informed her. 'Family.'

It occurred to her that it was awfully warm right now; it must have been the lingering heat from Garchomp.

"Wow,' Marie found her voice. "They're dancing?"

They were; it was a primitive display.

"Car!" Carbink floated over, having been freed. He bumped into Mawile, urging her. "Bin, Bink!"

The despondent Pokemon looked to Tanya, who shrugged in response. If they wanted to join in, that was their prerogative.

Carbink managed to convince the Pokemon, and they trudged their way to the center.

"Garch," In contrast to her words, Garchomp looked at the group fondly. "Omp."

Tanya found herself agreeing.

"They are difficult to deal with, but I'm stuck with them."

Why did she put early termination fees in their contract? She had no idea what she had been thinking.

The matriarch gave her a long look before stretching and lying down. In mere moments, the creature was slumbering without a care.

It was far too trusting.

"Ummmm," Marie whispered, reminding Tanya of her presence. "I really, really want to see this. But I do need to get home. Can you walk me back?"

Tanya did need to have more words with the girl, so that would be a decent time to do it. Though she would not take her all the way.

She was going to call back Mawile and Carbink when she decided to give them a few more minutes.

It seemed the atmosphere was enough to get Mawile out of her funk, and she was now enjoying herself. That wouldn't stop the ass-chewing Tanya would deliver tomorrow, but for now, she let the Pokemon have some fun on account of her good mood.

It really would only be a few though, as Mawile's skill in dancing was comparable to her taste in fashion.

That is to say, she had none and was randomly flailing about.

Tanya knelt down by the cause of her amicable demeanor. It was a bit rude to open a present in front of the host, but the matriarch was sleeping, and Tanya had worked hard for it.

Any number of potential treasures were imagined as her hands gripped the lid.

Precious metals, jewels, evolution stones? All would be acceptable.

At some point during the prior events, a genuine smile had found its way onto her face.

Prying the sack open, that smile froze.

She closed it and then opened it again, willing the universe to change reality.

Her attempts failed, and she was left with a bag filled to the brim with the equivalent of dandruff.

What the hell was she supposed to do with pounds of molted scales?

She'd been duped. Scammed.

How many of the overgrown lizards were there? Ten or so?

Tanya went for her knife, considering how many of them she could carve up before making a hasty retreat.

'Together?'

Obviously, she wasn't going to take them alone. In fact, Mawile's 'dancing' had already stealthily knocked two of the Gabites out.

With their strongest asset sleeping, now was the time to strike.

"Hello?" Marie inquired after not receiving a response. "Is that a no?"

Tanya released a breath. Gutting a bunch of landfish probably wouldn't look good.

She looked at the young girl when a thought crossed her mind.

The ease of the war against Team Flare lay partly on the girl's ability to keep a secret. Tanya broached an important question.

"How old are you?"

The binder was reasonably put together. Marie must simply look young for her age. The same went for Tanya, so it wasn't an outlandish belief.

"Ten and three-quarters."

Was it too late to reconsider?