"Don't just dodge maggot! Block it!"

Carbink stopped in his tracks and was hit by the beam of light and thrown back into a tree. Her eye twitched.

"I mean with Protect! Not your body!" She turned to Mawile who was standing near her. "You were holding back right?"

"Wile?" Mawile blinked at Tanya while tilting her head.

"Carb!" Carbink chirped after extricating himself from the bark. "Bin Bin!"

She'd dragged them to the clearing near the cave to conduct more training exercises. For Carbink, that meant trying to teach it the Protect move. If he could learn it then she may be able to pass off her work as the Pokemon's.

This was also to improve Mawile's aim. At least that's what she told Carbink. The real reason was Mawile seemed to take joy out of lobbing projectiles towards her peer. This type of behavior, while normally unacceptable in a work environment, was allowed for the sole reason that Carbink…wasn't bothered about being put through any amount of punishment.

The Pokemon was beyond naive and eager to please. If she told it to jump off a cliff it would acquiesce. That wasn't a mistake she'd make twice, the trek down to find him had been a waste of time.

Carbink was also, astonishingly durable, which did alot for explaining how the Pokemon had survived this long with such a dismal level of intelligence.

Mawile was clearly a level above in terms of defense but the fact she could even make the comparison spoke volumes of its potential as a shield. Mawile had spent most of its life on a strict training regime and diet crafted by a perfectionist. If she thought about it, that might explain why she was so prone to slacking. Mawile was the equivalent of a child being granted the freedom of college.

She'd strayed from the point, Carbink was a viable addition to her Team. The thoughts of how to deal with Team Flare hadn't stopped since she'd been waylaid on the island. This mini vacation had given her space to breathe but once she was on the mainland she'd have to confront them. While she had no aspirations of being a trainer, this was not an enemy she was willing to take on alone. She needed meat shields, or in this case, steel and rock shields.

"Again." She spoke to both Pokemon. "You need to learn Protect, after we can see if Mawile is able to teach you Iron Head."

From the grin Mawile displayed at that, she could imagine exactly how the Pokemon was planning on 'teaching'.

Recon would be given priority. Knowing your enemy was the first step to prevailing over them. Importantly, she had a name.

Lysandre

At the time she could admit to having been cowed by the revelation of who stood with him. However, giants could be felled. She just needed the slingshot, the rock, and the aim to accomplish it.

Her research would have to reveal what those were. Of course, while she would like to start now she lacked the means to. That wouldn't change when she was off the island and in a service area.

Resources, she had the cash from the Team Flare grunts. She had the stone Carbink had paid her. Both of those would have to be enough to get her some key pieces of equipment.

"I see you're all hard at work." She paused in her planning and turned towards the approaching man. "How's the hand, I noticed you didn't replace the bandage today."

She held it up, creating a fist and releasing it for display.

"No complications." A good night's rest was enough for it to mend but she had kept it bandaged longer for appearances. "I trust there were none on your end either?"

"Nothing we couldn't handle." He patted his waist where a Pokeball was clipped. "Got a feisty Abomasnow to show for it. This one was close to the edge so it's a good thing my boy was able to find it when he did."

The events with Slowbro were a regular occurrence for him. Gurkinn's self-imposed job was to capture Mega Pokemon and transfer them for treatment. To that end, Alakazam regularly searched the island for instances of them.

She'd taken the opportunity to join him on most of them, purely in an observational role of course. Watching Gurkinn further confirmed that he was a powerful trainer. She could admit to being rather envious of his team. While Alakazam had remained rooted at the cave, Gengar and Blaziken had both proved themselves competent fighters. So much so that Gurkinn hadn't needed to lift a finger in any of the engagements.

Even so, he was always on the move.

"Aren't you a bit old to be working so much?"

She did not plan to keep on working when he was her age. A pang of loss was suddenly felt for her lost retirement account, she'd contributed a considerable amount of her paycheck to it. She quieted the feeling. With the information she had on hand, it had been the prudent move. It was her responsibility to plan for her care in old age. Delaying immediate gratification for future security was perfectly rational behavior.

"Don't I know it." He stretched out his back and the crackling on joints could be heard. "That's just my lot in life."

She scoffed. It was that type of defeatist attitude that people loved to create excuses out of.

"Being overworked is a sign of a flawed business model. It is not something preordained."

Gurkinn took a seat on a toppled log, watching the two Pokemon train together. His expression had tightened and he took a deep breath.

"I've never thought of it that way but I suppose that's true. Either way, things will be changing, however much I don't want them to. I've lent my granddaughter Pokemon and she's taken over some responsibilities back home but she's not ready for all of this." His open palm traveled in a wide arc. "I've been in negotiation with the League to transfer some of the duties to the Rangers. It will make things messier but with Mega evolutions popping up more and more in the world it's only a matter of time before the League's gentle suggestions become as subtle as a Rhyhorn in an antique shop."

"That's a horrible idea." She gave her honest and factual opinion. "Once you let the government in you'll never get rid of them. Your family's generations of hard work will evaporate as a bloated bureaucracy bungles the island's management and ignores any pieces of wisdom you deemed to share." Granted, the more she saw of the island the more her original assertion of it being mismanaged rang true. "If you are overworked then your first step should be securing additional employees to manage the property."

"Easier said than done. It's not that I don't know trainers able to help but the cost to hire them would be prohibited expensive. I won't claim poverty but I'm not drowning in wealth. The island is also more of a responsibility than a business, it doesn't generate any income."

"That means you're not utilizing it correctly. Your most valuable resource here is the Mega Stones. You've captured multiple these past couple of days. That has to have earned you a tidy sum."

"I let the rehab facility keep them. They do good work and need funding."

The absurdity of the statement gave her pause. He was giving away such a precious commodity? That went beyond altruism and entered into the area of brain damage. Then again, he had been a trainer his whole life. It was more than plausible that he'd taken a few blows to the head throughout the years.

"The proceeds from them could let you hire the appropriate trainers and cover more ground." She spoke slowly and in a clear manner, being careful to enunciate each word. "This will increase your revenue and you, if you really feel the need, can then use some of the increase to fund the rehab clinic."

For his sake, she hoped such a donation would be tax deductible.

"It's not that simple, this week has been busy but Alakazam is one Pokemon. They're not generally that easy to find. And I think you're underestimating the cost those types of trainers would run you."

She mulled that over. An inconsistent supply with a high steady payroll would not end well. Another option came to mind.

"Then put the onus on the trainer instead. Don't hire them. Charge them for the privilege of looking for a Mega Stone and then charge them even more if they manage to find one. You can put a stipulation that they pay for the medical cost for the Pokemon captured."

He rose a brow in her direction.

"I don't think I need to remind you but the island isn't what I'd call safe. Discounting those that can Mega Evolve, there are plenty of other powerful Pokemon on the island. Even seasoned trainers could get hurt or worse out there."

That had been made abundantly clear. If it wasn't for Gurkinn knowing the land so well they would have encountered danger after danger.

"Make them sign some waivers, if they decide the reward is worth the risk then that is their prerogative. The danger of the Pokemon can be another selling point. Whether to test yourself against them or to potentially add them to your team."

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She could think of a battalion of numbskulls that would jump at the opportunity to get a taste of the life-threatening situations the island provided.

"You're suggesting, I run a safari?" His voice was skeptical but not outright dismissive.

"Elaborate." She was familiar with the word but sensed it held a different meaning.

"Sheltered little princess weren't you?" Her hand twitched. "The one here is far down south on the mainland. Operates a little differently than other regions but the gist of it is the League maintains a variety of habitats and ships in Pokemon from overseas. Trainers pay a fee and can then catch a certain amount of Pokemon."

"I see, so this formula is used elsewhere. You can use that to your advantage and poach their employees."

With the format she suggested there would still be a need for staff. He'd have to make sure to properly vet them. Otherwise, he may end up with a large payroll of people predominantly coasting.

"I know you mean well but this island has no infrastructure to support this kind of thing. Transportation itself would be a challenge."

In a world of Pokemon, these were non-issues and she suspected he was just trying to think of reasons to refute her logic.

"Build it. If air and sea are hazardous to traverse then use teleportation. If the range is not far enough build a series of waystations over the water to act as stops."

He gave a large sigh.

"There's still the money. We spent all our capital on renovations recently. And, even if by some miracle we did get it. There are still two glaring problems. He fished out his pendant. "Keystones are rarer than Mega Stones. Very few people have one so my list of potential customers, as you put it, is extremely small. Then there's the League, who is looking to classify Key Stones and Mega Stones as restricted items, they would never agree to this."

Of course, they would do something like that.

"That complicates things. It is still your land though, correct?"

"We own it, but like I've been trying to tell you. It's just not possible."

She looked out into the distance and pondered for a moment. A slight frown formed, a compromise would have to be made.

"The capital is easily resolved. Gathering investors is one way. The property in the city you mentioned can also have a loan taken out against it. Then there's the research potential the island holds. I imagine more than one company would be eager to lease some land in order to collect valuable data. As for the League, well it's a League. Other regions must be interested in Megas as well. See if they are willing to enter into a partnership with you to develop the island."

"Going behind the Kalo's League's back? That would never fly."

"It doesn't matter if it does. The mere presence of talks would provide you leverage. Use it to secure better terms. Your customer problem would also be solved this way, I don't like relying on one supplier but they'd be able to provide and vet any trainers looking to purchase your services."

"That….."

He fell silent, closing his eyes and rubbing his chin. Eventually, he opened then and regarded her with narrowed eyes.

"What family did you say you were from?

"I didn't." She met his stare and resisted the urge to reach for her knife.

He held his hands up in mock surrender.

"Sorry, trying to figure out what house I need to avoid crossing in the future. You don't like taking no for an answer."

"I merely like to explore all possibilities before choosing the best way forward."

"Right, well you're talking crazy. There's a lot that could go wrong with that plan. Although, what's crazier than that is I'm actually considering it." He slapped his leg. "Hah, my old heart is beating pretty fast right now. It's exciting, the idea of building a safari. I'm guessing you don't feel like sticking around to help me though."

She was perfectly fine suggesting such a course of action but this wasn't the type of employment she was searching for.

"I have prior obligations. Perhaps after I fulfill those."

It was important to keep the door open. After she successfully exposed Team Flare the League was sure to offer her a large reward. If not, she could always find out if Lysandre Labs was a public company and short the stock. Doing so without an identity would complicate matters but she could find a middleman. With the money she earned, she might be able to become one of Gurkinn's investors. Then it was a simple matter of waiting for the checks to roll in.

"Well, the offer will stand." He rose from his seated position. "Don't have those two push too hard. There's a certain Pokemon I've had Alakazam searching for and he should be close to finding them. I want you to be there."

Strange, since the Slowbro he'd not pushed for her to join on any of them.

"Very well." Her search for a Mega Stone was ongoing so hopefully, it was covering new ground.

"Great. I'll go start dinner if you want to join in an hour." He started walking away, pausing for a moment. "I forgot to mention but I found your doll in the middle of the floor. I put it with the rest of your things."

He continued on his way and she stared at his back.

Doll? What doll?

—

She woke with a start, her chest heaving up and down. A quick inspection revealed no threats and she forcibly calmed herself. A peaceful sleep was becoming a further and further proposition.

The dreams faded quickly but their after-effects were more pronounced. It was another classic of Being X, although she supposed the making her forget part was a nice touch. Last time he just left her with that cryptic note and the Type 95.

Her eyes drifted to a corner where a ratty-looking Pikachu sat upright. She'd distinctly remember tossing that out.

She turned to Mawile was observing her with some mirth from the side. Mawile must have been some sort of prankster, as long as it was limited to this she wouldn't mind. At least her slacking didn't carry over to watch duty.

Carbink looked fast asleep, snoozing on his side.

"I'm going for a walk." She rose, feeling her clothes stick to her from the nighttime sweats.

She walked quietly out of the cave, the night sky greeting her. Looking up at it, she frowned. In her old life, she could navigate via the stars. That skill would have to be relearned.

The sound of footsteps told her Mawile had decided to join her, probably for the best. You could never be too careful.

The grass crunched under her and she was conscious of being on a tether, straying too far could be hazardous to her health. The wind blew, bringing the smell of dew to her.

"Why did you agree to follow me?" She found herself talking, whether it was out of genuine curiosity or in an effort to distract herself from that false god's machinations she didn't know.

"Ile Ile"

"You were bored? Seriously?"

She turned, looking at the Pokemon closely and searching for signs of deceit. It had its hands neatly folded behind its back and was staring at the same stars she had been.

"Wile~" It met her stare with a wide grin. She could feel it withholding something but as to what it was she couldn't say.

That uncertainty and potential fickleness bothered her. Trusting in your fellow soldier not to turn tail and run when things got tough was a requirement for a combat-capable unit and while Mawile had stuck with her this far, she needed to clear the air. With the bolstering of her personal ability and Carbink's affability, now was as good a time as ever.

"Under the principle of full disclosure, I want to make sure you understand I face an uphill battle on the mainland. My enemies are well entrenched. I present a loose end, I anticipate they will go to great lengths to either silence me or return me to the fold. Even if we somehow manage to overcome them, my life has a nasty habit of turning" She searched for the most diplomatic word to describe it. "contentious."

Being X wasn't one to leave her in peace. Murphy's law was in full effect when it came to her life story.

An uncomfortable stillness settled around them until Mawile spoke up casually.

"Maw. Mawile."

She blinked at the response. A low chuckle sounded in the night and her hand reached up to her face, tracing a smile.

Mawile was correct in saying that being with Tanya would ensure life would never be boring.

The parallels were undeniable. Was she cursed to be a magnet for battle maniacs? She'd tried her hardest to kill her battalion in the cradle by promising hardship with no reward and yet those idiots threw themselves at her. Well, being surrounded by self-sacrificing fools wasn't so bad when they'd sacrifice themselves for you.

"If that's your decision."

She may never be able to understand what went through their minds but she was rather adept at managing them.