The climb, while not arduous, was tedious. Her footwear did her no favors. The sneakers were high in quality but they were made for mall walking rather than hiking. It was a shame the Sheriff's boots didn't fit her.

She took a swig of her water bottle and passed it to Mawile. They were seated under a berry tree for a moment of rest, in the distance she she saw the maw of a cave. She took a bite of the green berry, it had a tanginess that she wasn't fond of but nutrients were nutrients.

The length of the road ahead was unknown, any chance to conserve her supplies should be taken.

"Thank you for your hospitality." She spoke to the bird overhead, it was perched on a branch and watching them warily.

"Star. Staravia. Star." It chirped at them and Mawile let out a huff, causing it to ruffle its feathers.

"Don't antagonize it." She chastised her troublesome employee and turned to the avian Pokemon. "We understand, two berries each and we'll be on our way."

Mawile had an attitude that needed correction. In her first life, she'd never bothered to cultivate human resources. That had changed in her second and she found value in the process. Taking it a step further, she would even say she held talent in it.

A pang of irritation hit her, she'd put a lot of effort into raising the 203rd. They may be bloodthirsty maniacs but she'd grown fond of them, the brass had better not waste them on some suicide mission.

Unfortunately, there were some key differences in the relationship dynamic that prevented her from disciplining Mawile. In the Empire, she held the rank, the reputation, and the skill to properly cow any belligerent underling. Here she had none of that. Her ability to use Ki may have put her ahead of her fellow humans but they still paled in comparison to what she had seen Pokemon were capable of. Of course, had she a proper weapon the story might be different.

She flexed her hand, feeling the power flow through her. There was also the matter of her not having been as diligent as preferable in testing these abilities. Not for a lack of drive, she'd been captured before her first day in this world and simply decided that experimenting while in captivity was not worth the risk. Her precarious escape would have been made impossible if they were aware she could lob a three-hundred-pound man like a sack of potatoes. That was ignoring the newfound interest those researchers would find in her.

"Ma. Ma."

Mawile thought highly of their ability and did not see the benefit of negotiating. While she wasn't opposed to requisitioning what they needed, they were yet to be in the dire straits required for her to resort to shaking down a wild Pokemon. Especially when the size and shape of it did little to tell you how powerful it was. If she wouldn't be caught in the crossfire, she'd be tempted to let it pick a fight it couldn't win. Sadly, she needed them both in peak condition.

"That's long enough." She got up and resecured her pack "Let's continue."

Mawile gave the bird a long look before acquiescing.

Tanya kept her head on a swivel, the wind made it difficult to hear if someone was sneaking up behind you.

As they neared, she squinted her eyes. There was a harsh reflection coming from the entrance. The source was a series of large gemstone-like rocks. They were jagged things, she'd seen similar ones during their ascent but they were getting progressively larger.

A worn metal sign beside the cave read 'Reflection Cave Entrance 3'. Her eyes lit up as they traveled further down. Underneath the nameplate was a map with a helpful 'You are here' star and a legend that contained an entry reading 'Shalour City'.

"This." She laid a finger on the dot indicating their destination. "Is where we are heading. Memorize the map as best you can."

She instructed while doing so herself. Committing details like this to memory was a key skill taught in the war college she'd attended.

Closing her eyes, she tested her ability to create a mental image of it. There was an asterisk warning of route changes due to cave-ins so she made sure not to chart only her path. After confirming the entire map was memorized she nodded to herself and looked to Mawile who appeared to have discarded her order in favor of inspecting her.

She forced back the frown and entered without fanfare. The interior of the cave was brighter than she'd expected, thanks to the light bouncing off the plethora of crystals inside.

While her limited testing had shown Ki was able to provide her night vision, glowing eyes were too conspicuous for her taste.

The pitter pater of small feet sounded behind her, verifying that Mawile had followed her in. She kept her gaze forward and didn't let herself be distracted by the reflections. Leaders did not gawk at the scenery, they judged and went about their objective.

Her grip around the knife tightened as a rock formation trembled before uprooting and waddling away. She traced its path and continued.

It wasn't the last wild Pokemon they encountered. A number of them were content to let them pass in peace after she delivered some placating words. Sadly, that peaceful resolution streak seemed ready to be broken.

"Please allow us to pass, we do not mean to disturb you." She attempted to reason with the clown-looking creature.

It stood in her way with a smile on its face and hands on its hips.

She took a step to the side which it matched.

"Is there a reason you seem determined to block our path?"

The world would be a more efficient place to live if all opposing parties could use communication to resolve potential disputes. More often than not conflict was a waste of resources.

It pinched its fingers together and held them to its face. The other hand wafted.

"Please use your words."

It refused her reasonable request and made more meaningless gestures. She got the gist of it.

"I do not have time to play with you. Either move aside or be moved." They'd crossed a precariously long and narrow land bridge overlooking an abyss only to be blocked by this Pokemon. This was not a path that could be bypassed.

Its response was to sit back on the air with one leg crossed over another. Pinky out it raised something to its face and waved her forward.

She'd never seen the humor of mimes.

"Mawile, remove them."

The Pokemon gave no sign that it heard her. Her eyes narrowed and she glared at it.

"Are you refusing to obey?" She kept her tone level, inwardly her concerns were piling up. If it abandoned her in the middle of this cave her probability of success would take a nosedive.

"Wile~"

It picked at its ears, flicked something, and looked away. Being unable to threaten a court martial or firing squad was becoming tiring. Still, it wasn't as bad as she feared.

Her ability to instinctively understand the meaning behind the actions of Pokemon was something she'd mistakenly let slip early on. Thankfully, this particular ability was not unheard of and even common among veteran trainers. Of course, those trainers were generally only able to gain the skill with their long-term partners. Her habit of being taciturn and direct with her subordinates had paid dividends and they'd not noticed how deep her ability was, writing it off as a particularly strong affinity with Mawile.

Because of it, she could tell Mawile was not abandoning her but instead testing her ability. In a way, it was understandable. She would not want to follow an incompetent. Her only wish was that it had chosen a better time.

"Hold this" Her pack was removed and shoved into Mawile's face.

She paced forward, stopping short at the barrier that separated her from the wild Pokemon.

Its existence couldn't be hidden from her, even if she could not see it. Ki saturated her body as she prepared for battle.

Mr. Mime believed this to be some sort of game and while that did cause its guard to be down, that didn't mean she shouldn't tip the odds further in her favor.

Her shoulders hunched forward, making her frail frame look even smaller. While her appearance frustrated her at times, it provided an element of surprise and she was never one to throw away a perfectly serviceable tool.

"Please" Power hummed through her, she looked at it with big blinking eyes. "Let me through?"

It leaned forward, its eyebrows raised.

A clenched fist slammed against the barrier and a cracking sound indicated its destruction. She rushed forward, knife in hand. Her actions had the desired effect and it fell off its imaginary chair. Feet kicked back as it tried in vain to gain some distance.

She swept the knife forward but it raised its palms and the knife scratched against a hexagonal barrier. A pinkish ball of light radiated from it and shot towards her.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Diving to the side, she evaded the attack. The new barrier was smaller than the last and she was able to circumvent it just as the Mr. Mime rose to its feet. She tossed the knife.

Disarming herself was not a good habit but options were limited. It twisted its head out of the way but the second it bought her was enough to get within close quarters. Her leg snapped out and the impact buckled its knees. A punch found its way to the creature's throat and she followed up with a whirlwind of attacks. She had the luxury of having a human-like opponent and she fought it as such, targeting the joints and other weak spots.

It collapsed on its back and she straddled it, not relenting in her strikes. The second she gave it room to breathe it would be over. It appeared that wasn't enough as she was knocked back by an unseen force.

She righted herself in the air and landed in a crouch, the momentum causing her to skid back.

Her eyes locked onto her target only to see it scampering away.

Given that she was involved in a series of operations that opened with one of the largest feigned retreats in history, she waited to see its true intentions.

It looked over its shoulder a few times but did not halt its charge away.

Fighting Pokemon directly was not something she wished to make a regular activity of. Luckily, she had only been out to displace this one. With an avenue of retreat and Mawile presumably at her back, it chose the sensible option of self-preservation.

She stifled her breathing, forcing it to return to normal.

"Hey isn't that…"

"Yeah! Hey kid! Don't move, I'm sick of chasing your trail through this stupid cave!"

On the other side of the bridge, a pair of Team Flare grunts pointed at her. At their side was a Houndour and Liepard.

She'd been about to curse that timing when she saw those idiots run forward without a care.

"Are you going to listen now?"

Mawile rubbed it's chin in thought and then gave a thumbs up. Good, she quickly scanned the surroundings to the best of her abilities. There were no signs of others.

"In that case, stockpile and spit up. I want that bridge gone before they get here. I'll trust your judgment on how many you want to stack."

She was hesitant to generalize an entire group but in her time there, she found Team Flare to be cut from the same overpriced cloth.

They weren't out of shape but they prioritized aesthetics over physicality. It led them to use fad diets and medical procedures to 'look' in shape rather than actually being in shape.

By her estimates, they'd not be able to reach them in time. Their Pokemon were another story, both able to cross the distance if needed. She'd been prepared to buy Mawile time but they stubbornly stuck with their trainer's slow pace.

A whitish-purple beam launched from beside her, burrowing into the rock. The effect was immediate with large cracks spreading and the bridge crumbling.

The yelps of Pokemon and trainers alike faded in the distance as they plummeted into the unknown. Scratch that, one of them hadn't faded completely.

"Help!" The voice yelled. "I, fuck. Help!"

She stepped to the edge and looked down, seeing one of the grunts hanging some meters below. It was such an orientation that his feet hung freely while his hands clung desperately to whatever hold they had.

"What do you propose?" She asked the man in a calm manner.

His response was decidedly less calm.

"Propose!? Are you crazy? Help me up!"

"That seems to be a poor choice on my part. Weren't you just chasing me? If I help you what guarantees do I have that you won't pick up where you left off?"

"I-I wouldn't do that! Help me already! I'll pretend I never saw you! Promise!"

"I'm not sure I can trust you. Why don't we build that trust by sharing what you know about Team Flare?"

Woe be it for her to pass up free information. When he didn't speak she commanded.

"Mawile, start stockpiling again."

"Wait, wait! I don't know what you want to know! Honest! I'll tell you what you want to know!"

"Is that so? Do they have a strong presence in Shalour City?"

As her next destination, that was her primary concern.

"I'm stationed in Geosenge, I don't know about anywhere else! You got to believe me." There was the sound of snapping rack and the yelling picked up. "I can't hold on much longer!"

"Who else is after me?"

"It was just Dean and I for reflection cave! Maybe there were others! I don't know! I'm just a grunt!"

That meant he had minimal use.

"What are the team's goals?"

Maybe she'd finally get a straight answer?

"To build a better and more beautiful world? Don't you know? You're one of us!"

Or not.

"I know the party line, what I want to know is if that actually means something or if you all just parrot it like good little sheep."

She thought it the latter but if they had some sinister concrete goals it wouldn't hurt to know.

"I don't know the details but we're going to remake the world! Wipe it all away and start anew. Team Flare will inherit this pure world! That means you too! You're one of us aren't you?"

Huh, they were a doomsday cult. That was a bit nostalgic. Her last interaction with one had led to the subways being shut down. She'd had to race to the office on foot only to find most of the staff to be missing. She'd still been an intern at that time but couldn't understand how her absent peers hadn't been fired.

"I'm not convinced yet. Do you have anything else to offer?"

"Money? Do you want money? I have loads of it!"

"That is tempting. Although we do have a problem. See I don't have any way of helping you up."

He couldn't see but she had shrugged her shoulders helplessly.

"I-wait I have some rope. It's in this survival kit I bought. I can maybe throw it up there."

"Maybe or can? Maybe's not going to help anyone."

"I can, I can. Give me a moment." There was some rustling but she'd already stepped away from the ledge so couldn't see. A satchel was tossed and landed near her. "It's in there, quick! I'm begging you!"

She pulled her hands into her sleeves and then retrieved the satchel, finding the kit. A smile formed upon seeing its contents. She searched the rest of the satchel scoring some empty Pokeballs, potions, and cash.

Going to the edge again, she tossed the rest of it over.

"What are you doing!?!?"

The nervous voice barely registered to her and she turned to Mawile.

"Aim up, It needs to look natural." It tilted its head in her direction. "Is there a problem with that?"

A matching set of grins greeted her.

—

There was a spring in her step as they traveled further. With her most immediate pursuers gone, she'd bought herself more time. Mawile's more amenable attitude while welcome, was slightly offputting. It must have an unhealthy predisposition to violence.

Even now, its grins hadn't faded. Tanya still held some irritation for it forcing her to fight by herself but it was mitigated by knowing their arraignment wouldn't be permanent. She could tolerate its behavior for now.

She wasn't sure what the protocol was for giving up an unwanted Pokemon but there had to be some system in place.

Cries echoed through the cavern they traveled in. She paused, mentally reviewing the path and charting a detour around. It would add some length to their journey but it was preferable to getting into the middle of whatever that was.

If she had believed in karma, the cave-in that occurred next would have been apt. Rapid steps back brought them both out of harm's way.

The reason behind the falling debris became evident when a floating grey rock appeared from the dust. It was smaller than both of them and covered in gemstones. Its eyes widened on seeing her and its protruding ears flapped up and down in distress.

There was a gleam and a shadow reached out, knocking the Carbink back. The aggressor followed up with a purple claw that produced a grating sound after making contact with the rock.

Carbink's cries filled the cave. Tanya shared a look with Mawile before they both turned and began to walk away. It was not her place to interrupt this cave's natural life cycle.

Sadly, their original route was no longer navigable. She let out a sigh and turned, ready to either wait out or walk past the fight.

A rock was launched at the Sableye, there was a glint in its eye before it nimbly ducked under the attack. Its maw opened wide and engulfed part of the Pokemon.

The pathetic cries began to irritate her. She understood some animals were content to eat still-living meals but she'd thought Pokemon would behave in a more civilized manner.

Not wanting to suffer through it, she gave it a respectable distance while passing by. Their definitions of respectable differed and a shadow struck out towards her.

"Realy?" She deftly avoided its reach. "Mawile Play Rough."

Mawile skipped towards the Sableye with an innocent tilt of its head.

"Sable" It hissed a warning.

Seeing Mawile not stop its approach it sent another claw. Mawile spun around it with a cheer.

It abandoned its meal and charged Mawile. Entering melee range was a mistake and Mawile's small hands somehow found their way over Sableye's. The two Pokemon swung around in a circle as if performing some dance.

The scene was appropriate for a children's television show up until the purple Pokemon's body was slammed against a crystal, the mirror image of them cracking.

Naming conventions aside, it was a powerful move.

"Ma. Ma. Wile~"

Its singing overpowered the shrieks of its victim. She let it indulge for a bit, hoping its need for violence would be satiated with this.

"That's enough, it's fainted already." She called out and Mawile released the limp body, it soared and then crashed against the wall.

"You did well." Every person has different motivational levers. Recognition was a favorite of hers. Not to receive, no she'd have sold her Silver Wings Assualt Medal if not for the backlash that she'd incur. In terms of others though, talk was free. If all it took was a few nice words to buy the loyalty of her men then she'd gladly pay them lip service. It seemed she'd caught a break and Mawile fell into this category if the way it beamed was any indication. "We're going to need to backtrack. I want to make it to the city before dark so let's pick up the pace a tad"

She demonstrated that by widening her gait, Mawile fell into step by her side.

It wasn't far when she noticed their tag along. She didn't acknowledge it directly and instead tracked it through the numerous reflections.

Her plan was to let it be, its previous showing was poor so she did not consider it to pose a large threat.

"Bink Bink Bink" Its voice sounded like the clanging of glass marbles.

Mawile gave a huff of amusement and disregarded the creature. For her part, Tanya was content to deny its existence.

That became more difficult when it began floating beside her and filling her ear with nonsense.

"I regret to inform you we are not currently accepting applications." She fell back on her first life's experience. Dealing with eager and underqualified aspirants was a required skill. It was important to deal with them in a prompt and straightforward manner. Leaving room for interpretation could invite unwelcome developments.

"Carbink Carbink Ink!" Despite the luster of the gems embedded in its body, it was rather dull.

"Our position remains the same. We suggest you reach out to an aspiring trainer should you wish to travel."

It had blabbered to her about leaving its colony and wanting to see the wider world. Broadening your horizons was not necessarily a foolish action, the fool part was doing it without making any preparations. Had that Sableye not aggravated them, Carbink would have been lunch.

"Ink! Ink! Car!"

The information made her pause. Bribery was a plague on society, introducing inefficiencies into the free market and causing the structure to rot from within. However, this proposal would not constitute bribery in the traditional sense. It was closer to being hired for a job.

She mulled it over.

"To be clear. You wish to enter into a contract in which I will protect you in exchange for an item of exceptional value." It bobbed up and down in assent. "Duration?" She questioned.

"Carbink!"

"Are you sure you do not wish to set a minimum period? For transparency, I do not anticipate being active as a 'trainer' much longer."

"Carbink!"

"You will be responsible for your own meals."

"Carbink!"

"I will not put myself at risk to protect your person."

"Carbink!"

It seemed dogged in its pursuit of securing her assent. She supposed she could relate to wanting a degree of safety.

"I need to see what is on offer before an agreement can be struck."

For all she knew what it considered valuable was some common rock.

It squeezed its eyes shut and trembled before its small mouth widened larger than she thought possible.

A stone clattered to the floor. Her eyes were drawn to it and she reached for it, headless of where it had just been. Holding it up, she could see the light reflect off it to have a different quality than the rest. It would not look out of place hanging in the night sky. Then there was the energy contained within. It was strange and incredibly potent.

This was undoubtedly valuable.

She pocketed it. The saying 'a fool and his money are soon parted' rang true. She was simply doing her part to allocate resources to those who would utilize it best. It would either learn from this experience or continue to make the same mistake. Either way, it was no skin off her back.

Her palm held out an empty Pokeball.

"Welcome aboard."