Novels2Search

Chapter 28

There were a variety of ways she could deal with the two in front of her.

Flight. It would be the simplest. If she broke out into a sprint, she found it difficult to believe they would have any chance of catching her.

Negotiation. She was rather adept at flattery and social manipulation, and they did not strike her as the most intelligent of individuals. It was possible she could talk her way out of this.

Fight. Physically, she was confident in having them beat. That advantage would only increase if she threw her Pokemon in the mix.

Tanya carefully considered what path forward would benefit her the most.

Flight would be a net zero impact, seeing her in the same position as she started. That did not sit right with her.

Negotiation had potential. Reaching a mutually beneficial arrangement was her preferred method of dealing with conflict. Tilted in her favor, of course.

Fighting had the possibility of spilling out of control. She was already being accused of terrorizing a city. Starting off her visit to the capital by tearing up an alley with a Pokemon battle would do nothing to help her case.

She took a mental step back, evaluating the situation as a whole.

Tanya did not exist in a vacuum, and any action she took would have ripple effects. In this case, leaving these two on the street would result in them inevitably accosting others.

Potentially—no, likely actual children.

Being decidedly not a member of law enforcement, it was not her responsibility to deal with them.

However, strictly speaking, neither was Team Flare, and yet she pursued them all the same. So she had already established that certain activities, more commonly associated with violent crimminals, were acceptable should certain criteria be met.

What were the criteria?

For starters, ill intent directed at her. Something readily apparent here.

Then there had to be an incentive for her to act. The valuables these two possessed qualified, bare minimum they might be.

Finally, it had to be something the authorities were either unable or unwilling to act on. Given the brazenness of these two, she felt confident that was met as well.

Perhaps a mix of two and three then. Negotiation, but after establishing the hierarchy.

"Hey Faust." The girl recovered from her laughter first, wiping tears from her eyes. "I think we broke the brat."

The breaking would be on her part, but she wouldn't go too far. These were low-level criminals, punks even. They weren't crazed cultists, and therefore they did not have to be disposed of so completely. Not to mention doing so in a crowded and foreign city presented certain hurdles she was not yet ready to overcome.

Her eyes zeroed in on the girl's choker.

Path decided; she held out the sack of scales.

"J-just take it," she forced a stutter in her voice and gave a sniffle for good measure. "I don't want any trouble."

She could feel Mimikyu vibrate against her right side. He was enjoying this far too much.

"Now we're getting somewhere," the boy nodded eagerly. "Seems your head is screwed on right after all."

He took a step forward, and Tanya matched it with one back.

"I'll only give it to her." She gestured to the girl, Lillian.

Faust did not have a visible Pokeball, so he was not the priority in this instance.

"Shit, what difference does it make—what the hell?"

He complained, rubbing his shoulder from where the girl had harshly elbowed it.

"Shut up and let me handle it."

The punk girl scoffed, passing her colleague, who muttered angrily under his breath.

"Alright, brat," the girl stopped within arm's length of Tanya. Her left hand rested on her hip, and she began to lean forward, reaching out with her free hand. "Don't forget the pack and-"

Tanya dropped the sack. Her hand clamped around the punk's wrist, and she yanked the girl forward. Her forehead met the girl's nose, and it resisted for a brief moment before cartilage gave way to bone.

That her aura was running through her certainly helped, but she wasn't using moves against these idiots.

"What the fu-"

Tanya hurled Mimikyu towards Faust. The doll smashed into his face, causing him to take a few paces back.

Lillian reeled back, trying to free her wrist from Tanya's grasp while her other hand went for her choker.

She was neither strong enough to free herself nor quick enough to beat Tanya to the Pokeball, and the former mage's fist rammed into the girl's throat, eliciting a sputter from the punk.

Her hand came away, Pokeball in palm, and she secured it in her pocket before kicking the girl's shin and pulling her downward. She released her hold and stepped out of the way as the girl hit the floor.

"You little-"

Tanya slipped off her backpack, chucking it at the man who was knocked off his feet as a result of the impact. Her eyes scanned the ground, seeing Mimikyu lying discarded against a wall, presumably after being thrown there by Faust. She did not appreciate his commitment to the bit right now.

"I, can't." The girl on the floor tried to recover, pushing herself up with her hands while struggling to breathe.

Tanya delivered a quick kick to her gut. It knocked the girl on her side, and she grasped at her stomach.

"That's it!" The blue-haired man clambered to his feet with a look of indignation on his face. "You're asking for-"

Tanya raced forward, using her momentum to slide feet first into a skid, performing a sliding leg sweep on the man.

Now behind him, she twisted her body upright and saw he had hit the floor face-first.

"Haunter!" He yelled from his prone position, anger and panic intermingled in his tone. "Do something!"

Haunter? She pivoted a foot back, searching for any signs of the alleged Pokemon. Just when she thought the wool had been pulled over her eyes, a shape emerged from one of the walls.

It was a floating purple head with spiky edges and two disembodied claws.

Damn, it must have been released prior to them entering the alley.

Tanya's hand went for her knife but fell short of drawing it. Normal-type moves wouldn't work, and those were the only ones she knew how to use.

She was about to bring out Mawile when she noticed Mimikyu missing from his prior location. That was a good sign? If he ditched her now, more than words would be said in the aftermath.

Giving him the benefit of the doubt, she withheld from calling out Mawile. Throwing the Pokemon in a narrow alley and expecting it to remain intact after was a fool's bet.

"Haunt..." The ghost type's large eyes moved from their trainer to Tanya. It rubbed its eyes, looked at them again, and then erupted in laughter. "Ha, hau, haunt, haunter!"

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

The Pokemon rolled back and forth in midair, and it took her a moment to process what she was seeing.

"What are you doing?" The man got to his feet and pointed a hand towards her. "Teach her a lesson already!"

Haunter stopped in its roll. Large eyes blinked once at the request and then turned to Tanya.

She tensed, wondering where the hell was Mimikyu when she realized the look in its eye didn't scream hostility.

It didn't utter a word, merely staring at her with a focused and almost expectant expression.

Purple fingers waved forward, almost as if nudging her toward the punk.

An absurd notion took hold within her, and she took an experimental step forward.

"Haunter, stop fooling around," Faust ordered, worry infecting his speech.

She took another step, and the Pokemon made no moves to intercede.

"Wait," the punk backed up, his eyes wide. "Don't get any closer."

A flash of sympathy passed over her; it seemed she was not the only one with unreliable teammates.

The third step was taken, and the Pokemon's body seemed to vibrate as it enthusiastically nodded up and down.

"Oh fuck," he managed to utter before she was on him once again.

His reaction speed was far too slow, and her uppercut sank into his stomach, lifting him up some before retracting.

He coughed before doubling over and leaving his breakfast on the ground.

"Hau, ha, hau!" It jeered, much like its trainer was doing moments ago. "Haunter, haunt!"

On the ghost Pokemon's request, she swept his legs again, leaving him to fall into the mess he made.

"Fuck!" The girl, having recovered, yelled in a nasally voice. She stumbled to her feet and clutched her nose while addressing Tanya. "You fucking bitch! My nose is broken."

She didn't react to the girl and instead focused on Haunter, or what was now behind him.

A claw snaked its way up from the limp doll. Tanya watched it with anticipation, knowing a Shadow Claw would be devastating to the ghost type.

It arched up, looming over the oblivious Haunter. Now in the perfect position for a downward strike, a single finger was formed and gently tapped on the Pokemon's back.

"Haunt?" The Pokemon turned quickly, seeing only a patched-up Pikachu doll sitting innocently on the floor, the Shadow Claw having been retracted in the blink of an eye.

Haunter threw its hands up in a shrug before turning back to Tanya, who was growing irritated.

"You idiot, it's the doll!"

The girl yelled a warning, but it was a second too late, and another Shadow Claw had already burst out, raking the Pokemon's back and earning an eerie wail.

"HAUNNNTTTT!"

"Oh fuck this," Lillian muttered, looking at her downed comrade and his injured Pokemon. "I'm out!"

Tanya disagreed with that assessment, and one of her throwing knives found itself in her palm. The girl had gotten a few feet away when Tanya's wrist flicked. Lillian tumbled down, her boot having been stabbed through.

"Haunter! Use Shadow Punch!"

That guy could still bark orders? Clearly, she hadn't been as thorough as she should have been. Eager to rectify the issue, she kicked him in the kidneys.

She watched from the corner of her eye as Haunter curled a fist and sent it flying out. The Mimikyu he was attacking faded on contact with the fist.

Tanya scoffed while patting the man down. Mimikyu had already flanked the Pokemon, and if the scream she heard was any indication, he'd landed another attack.

Turning his pockets inside out, she found what she was looking for and held out the ball. With a click, any threat Haunter possessed was neutralized, and it was returned to its Pokeball.

"You can't do that," the man got out between groans.

She grabbed him by the collar and roughly threw him against one of the alley walls. He slumped down, conscious but dazed.

The other looked to be trying to escape again. Tanya noted that the girl had learned her lesson and was attempting to do so quietly this time.

Not quickly though, as she hobbled away.

Tanya gave a look to Mimikyu.

"Bring her to me." The Pokemon was slow to act, and she followed up. "Stop pouting. You already had enough fun today."

She could sense his disagreement on that, but a shadow tendril reached out from him regardless.

It slithered across the ground, wrapping both her legs and pulling them tightly together. He pulled, and she fell, screaming on her descent.

The noise might attract unwanted onlookers.

"Gag her."

The shadow traveled upwards, coiling around her body and eliciting a higher-pitched squeal before the sound was muffled all together.

She waited patiently, and the girl was tossed next to her comrade. They were both seated against the wall now, and a quick glance to either side of the alley told her no one had come by to check on the disturbance.

Faust seemed to finally be getting his bearings, and she approached him, ready to make her demands known.

"Empty your pockets." She'd gone through them quickly, and it was better to have him do it again. Her head angled toward the girl, who, despite being freed, hadn't said a peep. "That goes for you as well."

There was a startling lack of movement from the two.

"You're robbing us?" The boy spoke, his face still wet from his own puke. "That's… illegal."

She already knew they were idiots, but this really hammered in the point.

Tanya gripped the knife still embedded in the girl's boot and yanked it out. Lillian's cry was strangled as the girl watched the blade be held up to her partner's throat.

"Do you require any more clarification?" He shook his head, and she pulled back. "Good, now do as I say and shut up until I ask a question."

Standing over them, she watched as they put their wallets, phones, and miscellaneous items on the street.

Something caught her eye, and she reached down to pick up the laminated card. Checking the date on it, she realized it was expired.

Shame, a trainer card would have made things easier.

"Is this it?" She figured the haul would be poor, but they were more destitute than she thought. "I'll know if you're lying to me."

Normally an empty threat, but she was hoping any lie would be obvious given their rattled state.

"That's everything, swear to Arceus," Faust said with his hands up in a placating gesture. He couldn't seem to decide whether to look at her or Mimikyu leaning against her leg.

"Is that right?" Tanya drolled, her eyes roaming to the girl. "And you?"

She had to kick the girls boot, causing her to retract her legs and curl her arms around them defensively.

"Y-yeah," she replied shakily. "We left the rest in the-"

Her words cut off, and she swallowed, rubbing her throat.

"In the what?" Tanya asked in a calm manner.

Neither seemed willing to speak on it, and she considered more extreme interrogation methods while absentmindedly inspecting the knife for any knicks.

"Our hideout," they bluttered out in unison.

She looked up from her inspection, finding them looking at each other with betrayal that bled away into sheepishness.

Their internal squabble aside, a hideout was promising. While she could camp out on a route, having a base of operations in the city would be beneficial. Both for now and in the future.

"Is anyone else there?" She pointed the knife at the boy, who shook his head.

A problem arose, one centered around manpower. There was a solution, but it was not exactly ideal.

She weighed her decision and, with a sigh of defeat, reached for her belt.

A lazy cry, or yawn, heralded the arrival of Mawile. The Pokemon smacked her lips and took in the surroundings before giving her a questioning look.

It was a good start; she expected the Pokemon's first act to whine about being left out of it.

"Mawile, I need your help with an important task."

She made to continue when she noticed the Pokemon nod and begin to walk towards the downed duo.

"H-hold up, we did what you wanted," Faust pleaded, his eyes darting to the side, looking for an escape.

"What are you doing?" She questioned the Pokemon to whom she had given no orders.

Mawile turned to her, tilting her head before responding matter of factually.

"Ma, wile, ma."

Tanya had implied nothing of the sort.

Patience, she counseled herself.

"I didn't say to break their legs." A gulp was heard. "They need them to lead you to their base of operations. Once there, you are to secure it."

A thumbs up was returned all too readily.

"Mawile, ma, wile."

The lack of hesitation worried her more than anything.

"This is a serious assignment, Mawile. We're in the middle of a large metropolitan area. That means don't cause a ruckus. No fighting unless attacked first. No stealing-" She stopped herself and then corrected her statement. "No stealing from civilians." She could see the Pokemon's eyes light up. "Or from the police."

They dimmed, and the Pokemon huffed.

"Maw, wile."

Tanya gave her a level stare, not budging an inch.

"Then you can go back into your ball. I'm not sending you out there only to read about how you destroyed half the city."

She was being hyperbolic, but a point had to be made.

"Ma, wileeeeeeeeeeee." The Pokemon gave a mixture of a groan and whine, accepting the assignment with reluctance. She stamped over, pawing at Tanya's belt.

"Stop that." Tanya slapped her hand away. Did she want a knife all of a sudden?

"Maw," the Pokemon spoke with her hands on her hips. "Wile, wile, maw."

Ah, right. She would need a translator.

"Ralts is tired; I'm not sure sending her with you is a great idea…"

Should she send Mawile out to find Gabite instead? No, that was a recipe for disaster.

Her pant leg was tugged, and Mimikyu attracted her attention.

The doll bulged, and then a box was deposited from the bottom.

It was a familiar-looking box.

For a moment, she considered what she was doing for all her Pokemon to so readily commit illegal acts.

"Mimikyu, no stealing from random shops." She instructed in vain and reached for the box. "Your allowance will be deducted for this amount."

He gave no signs that showed he was bothered about it.

'Energy Powder.'

A stimulant of some sort. She recalled the woman mentioning it before and implying it was widely used.

She popped the box open, taking a finger of the powder.

Was she supposed to snort it?

It wasn't like the stuff she applied to Carbink.

Mawile approached and mirrored her action, taking a step further and sticking her finger in her mouth.

"Ma," The Pokemon made a face and stuck her tongue out, using her hands to wipe it down as best she could. "Wile, ma." The Pokemon got out with a dissatisfied tone.

So it worked to some extent. This did not strike her as safe, but in moderation it should be fine, right?

Sending Ralts to temper Mawile's extremes seemed like a smart move. Both had violent streaks, but Ralts was better at listening to her.

Reaching for her belt again, she released Ralts.

"This is an energy booster; use as needed but be careful." She handed the Pokemon the box, whose eyes remained glued to her. "I need you to go with Mawile to the hideout of these two. Stay out of trouble, understood? This is a big responsibility; I'm trusting you."

Ralts stood as straight as her little spine could, and a hand rose in a textbook salute.

'Yes, mama.'

That was…close enough, she supposed.

Tanya reached toward the ground, handing the Pokemon one of the punk's cellphones.

"Use this to contact me. In the meantime, Mimikyu and I will go track down Gabite. If the hideout is suitable, we'll rendezvous there."

Ralts nodded seriously.

Yes, this could work.

"Alright, best of luck." Tanya lifted Mimikyu. "Which way to Gabite?"

He leaned a certain way, and she started traveling in that direction.

Before she left the alley, she heard a final piece from one of their captives.

"What the fuck did we get ourselves into?"