The plan had been to enter the route, cross the bridge, and then leave the road traveling south.

  They made it about ten feet off the beaten path before grinding to a halt.

  "Try to stay still if you can, young lass," an older man directed toward her. He was bald, with a dark tan, and a scraggly white beard that hung off his face. There was a palette with a multitude of colors held in his hand, and around his waist was a stained apron. In front of him was a wooden easel. A canvas rested on it, hidden from her view. "I know you young ones love to run about, but I promise this will be worth it."

  She was skeptical of that, to say the least.

  'Smile, mama.'

  Tanya tightened her hold on the Pokemon, attempting to convey some of her frustration. Given that Ralts was an empath, it shouldn't have been necessary, and yet she kept finding herself in these situations.

  She was seated on a smoothed rock, Ralts and Mimikyu on her lap. To her right was a floating Carbink. Posed on top of him with her fist held high was Mawile. She'd fallen off several times but overall had been surprisingly still. Gabite was at her left, barely in the frame. Her back was to them, with her arms crossed and teeth on full display.

  This time, it was no resting dragon face. Her guard was fully up, and she was very much not enthused by their other company.

  "Stop that," Tanya chided through her teeth. "Shoo already."

  Upon crossing the treeline, they'd been ambushed. It disturbed her quite a bit to be caught so off guard. One moment everything was fine, and the next, she was being assaulted with… flowers.

  "Flo, flo, ette?" one of her aggressors questioned with a tilt of its tiny white head. "Floette?"

  "Flo!"

  "Et!"

  "Floet!"

  The chorus responded, and the Floette dancing around her head approached, swapping out the red flower that had been placed behind her ear with a pink one.

  "Floet?" It, once again, asked the peanut gallery what they thought. "Et?"

  A pack, or garden, she wasn't sure what the correct term would be, of Floette had surrounded them. There were over a dozen of them now, and more kept on arriving. It was absolutely absurd. If that wasn't bad enough, a painter had wandered by and then, 'had to capture the moment.' As if she didn't have a stupid camera that could do it for them.

  Her traitorous team had unanimously agreed to pose for the painting. Tanya maintained this was in no way a democracy. It just so happened that she kept having to change her plans in response to them.

  Another flower was placed in her hair, causing her to begin gnashing her teeth. She stopped the self-destructive action and took a breath, releasing it slowly.

  Right, this was not all bad. In the grand scope of things, being delayed a few hours was not a great hardship. Still, if she had to be here, she might as well be productive with her time.

  "Do you paint here often?" she asked, ensuring she didn't move too much. "Route 7, I mean."

  The man hummed, dabbing his paintbrush delicately before making brush strokes beyond her sight.

  "Most of my life," he responded after some time. "It's a bit busier these days with the increased traffic, but there's still beauty to capture out here."

  While she had seen the occasional motor vehicle, it was nothing compared to what she remembered the streets of Tokyo were like. However, there were a decent number of vessels on the river. She suspected that was how most of their goods were transported. With the natural waterways spreading across the region and perilous routes, it was no mystery why they preferred that method of transport.

  "I've heard of that," Tanya said slowly, as if taking some time to remember. "There's this one in particular I was warned about. It's a small gray truck that's been known to run people off the road."

  The juice bar worker had not known where Dolan was, but he had provided a description of his vehicle. What he called a truck was more akin to a Jeep, with its open cabin and cargo area in the back. She kept to the definition of the locals, not wanting to cause confusion.

  "Oh, I know that one." The edges of his mouth quirked down, a slight frown coming over him. He wagged the brush toward the road, flinging paint in that direction. "Menace he is. I've complained to the local Jenny, but it has been years and she hasn't caught him yet."

  Ralts shifted in her lap, and her horn took a dim glow. There was a small pulse of psychic power, and her unwanted hairstylist quirked its head.

  "Floet, Floette, ette?"

  Floette's response informed her of what had been asked, and she resisted the urge to pat Ralts' head. Having both of them question the natives would produce better results.

  "He's not even the only one," the painter continued, his brush dabbing his palette with more force than was necessary. "There's a whole group of them that like to race up and down with their fancy cars. One in particular, a bald fellow, has a new convertible every week. I know it's him because of the Houndoom in the passenger seat. Must be a part of some racing club. I tell you, I'll never understand why you youngsters are so eager to race through life."

  This was a dangerous development, and Tanya wasted no time in providing her response.

  "Don't even think about it," Tanya said, eyeing Mawile from the corner of her eyes. The grin she received did not inspire confidence. "We're not here for that."

  She was not aware of the legalities around Pokemon operating motorized vehicles, but one Mawile joyride was enough for this life.

  "Wile~" the troublemaker sang, giving a promise that neither of them believed.

  Tanya decided to look at the silver lining. It would take one hell of a car crash to put her in the hospital, and she always had Moonlight to patch herself up. Those details made her feel better, and she moved their conversation along.

  "That's a shame to hear about," she offered in an attempt to build rapport. "Do any of them go off-road? I've been avoiding it for that reason. I'd rather not pay for the recklessness of others."

  More than she already did, that is.

  He hummed again, making a brush stroke. Pausing, he squinted at his painting before responding.

  "No… most of them stay on the road. Though, I think I may have seen that one you mentioned head off near the west end of the route. It's hard to say for sure; there's only so much room in this old noggin of mine." He ended with a laugh and a knock on his head.

  The area they had to cover continuously shrunk, and it was difficult to hide her reaction to that. Her finger twitched, longing for the comfort of a steel trigger pressing against it. Soon it would be satiated, and that fact made her giddy inside.

  "Now that's a smile," the man said, a hint of excitement in his tone. "Hold that lass."

  She'd been smiling ever since Ralts complained about it, so she wasn't sure what he was referring to.

  A snap followed by an angry huff caused her eyes to stray toward Gabite. A trio of Floette were fluttering around her head. They giggled at the warning bite, daring each other to boop the dragon's nose again. Having her own hair turned into an improvised bouquet, Tanya understood how Gabite was feeling.

  "Flo, ette, floet," the Floette messing with her hair said, nodding to itself before looking over its shoulder at the rest of its companions.

  "Floet!" One of them leaped, twirling in the air while agreeing with its compatriot

  It kicked off a wave of similar actions, the Pokemon fluttering about, using the wind to keep them aloft.

  Tanya didn't have to prompt Ralts, and she felt the subtle tinge of psychic power as the Pokemon in her lap inquired about this 'sage' they spoke so highly of.

  "In all my years." The man leaned back with a smile. "I've never seen them act so lively. They usually hide away in the brush, but they can't seem to get enough of you."

  She had noticed and had a theory for that.

  "I recently came in contact with a large amount of berries and other greenery. That must be what's attracted them."

  With the evolution line being known to search far and wide for such things, it was the logical conclusion.

  "Bi—"

  Carbink's reply was cut off, having his ear pulled by Mawile. Whispers were exchanged and a series of glances were sent in her direction. She raised an eyebrow at that, and Mawile waved a hand toward her.

  Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

  The action clearly told her to mind her own business. The problem was that she was fairly sure it was her business being discussed.

  "Gab!" Gabite lunged forward, snapping only at air. She snarled, her tail slamming on the ground. "Bite, gab!"

  The Floette took the wrong lesson from that, and as one, they linked hands, forming a ring around the Pokemon.

  'Floet, tte, floet, ett~" they sang in unison, much to the dragon's aggravation.

  Gabite and she, being the only ones to be harassed, struck her as odd, but she didn't have too long to mull over that.

  "Behave!" she barked. It had been meant for Gabite, but curiously, the Floette froze, falling to the ground in slow motion.

  "Really have a way with them." She heard the painter mutter. He took a step back and put his hand on his chin, evaluating the canvas. His eyes strayed to them before he took a few last strokes. "There, that should do it."

  That was far quicker than she anticipated, and she set Ralts and Mimikyu on the ground before walking over. Mawile scurried past her, with Carbink bumping into Tanya's side as she came to a stop in front of the portrait.

  "What do you think?" he asked.

  She stood with her team, studying the wet canvas. Mawile leaned in the closest, her face less than an inch away. To her right, Ralts held Mimikyu as high as she could, giving him a better view. Carbink, uninterested, nuzzled into Tanya instead. Meanwhile, Gabite lingered a short distance away, glancing at the canvas from the corner of her eye.

  Objectively speaking, the painter had captured their likeness. That was normally the extent to which she could evaluate art. She had never understood that world. Why would anyone pay millions for a piece of canvas with some paint on it? It was illogical.

  And yet, for some inexplicable reason, when she asked herself how much she was willing to pay for this portrait… no answer came.

  Tanya marched through the forest, team in tow. In her pack was an item ball with the painting securely held inside. It felt like a bit of a waste, but it was the easiest way to transport it. The painter had ended up gifting it to her, saying the experience was more than enough for him. A part of her wondered if she still looked like some starving runaway, but her more rational side deduced it was simply the whims of a man in retirement.

  "Gab…" the dragon said from behind her.

  She wasn't thrilled over their current course of action either. Following strange Pokemon to see this 'sage' seemed every bit of a trap. However, if the pack had wanted to attack them, there had already been ample opportunity. Having Ralts monitor their emotions certainly helped bolster her confidence.

  "Will you quit it?" she asked the rock by her side, trying and failing to push him away. "Focus on the surroundings."

  Whatever had gotten into Carbink, she hoped it would pass. He'd been extraordinarily clingy ever since they split ways with the painter.

  She put her mind off it, scanning the area herself. The forest was thick. Not enough to block all sunlight, but enough so that sneaking up on someone would be trivial. It had been oddly peaceful, but she attributed that to the Floette guiding them. If she had traversed it herself, she would have worried about stumbling over the territory of powerful wild Pokemon.

  "Maw, ileeeee," Mawile groaned, having quickly grown bored during their trek. "Ile."

  Despite her attitude, Tanya didn't miss the way Mawile's head flicked toward every noise. She was alert and ready. It was something Tanya approved of.

  "We're almost there," she replied, relaying the information they'd been told minutes ago. "Then we can see what this sage is about."

  At the mention of the name, several Floette turned.

  "Ette!"

  "Floet!"

  "Loe!"

  It was all information they'd heard before. The Pokemon had nothing but praise for this sage of theirs. If what they claimed was true, then Dolan was as good as found. Terms such as all-knowing, benevolent, and keeper of secrets were all generously thrown about. It was said nothing in the forest was beyond her knowledge. Tanya knew that in this world of Pokemon, it was not an impossibility, and the reminder made her want to turn tail and run.

  However, if one claim was true, it held that all were. In that case, she'd meet this altruistic sage of theirs.

  "Wile!" Mawile responded, smacking her fist together.

  Right, and if all went Mawile, they had Mawile.

  'Don't need sage,' an almost petulant voice sounded in her head.

  This was another recent development. Despite claiming there was no danger, Ralts had a bone to pick with this sage of theirs. Given it was impossible that they had ever met, Tanya wasn't sure what had caused it.

  "It doesn't hurt to ask," she counseled, still keeping a lookout. "If she doesn't have what we need, then we still partially mapped out the forest."

  The feeling of reluctant acceptance came over, and they settled into silence, observing the forest as they went further into its depths.

  Slowly, the surrounding greenery began to change. The trees became bigger, the grass greener, the flowers more vibrant. Eventually, they came across a wall of thorns. Bushes looked to have been overgrown, wrapping around trees and blocking their advance. Peering up, she could see it stretched over ten meters high.

  "Floet, ette, float~"

  Their song filled the forest, and a section of thorns receded, creating a doorway. Most of their guides dashed toward it, with some others urging her forward. Before she could say anything, Mawile had already skipped through the hole.

  Sighing, she followed with the rest of her party.

  "Fla? Be, be!" Excited shouts heralded a greeting party. "Be, be!"

  Flabébé appeared from every angle, swarming the Floette, who embraced them. She noticed some of the Floette who had been carrying extra flowers begin to distribute them to the younger Pokemon, who took them with absolute glee.

  Tanya took in the sight of a massive tree. It was at the center of this hidden grove, and its roots ran the full length of it. They looped at points, creating pockets of dirt that were populated with countless flowers. From its branches hung vines, and she could see Flabébé and Floette use them to travel up to small structures built in its canopy. They appeared almost like birdhouses formed from large leaves. The trunk itself was five meters thick and covered with colorful patches of moss.

  At the base of the tree was a Florges. It was blue and stood at roughly Mawile's height. Half-lidded eyes examined them, and a few of the Floette ran to it, chattering away. The Pokemon's arm stretched out, beckoning them.

  Tanya gave her team a glance before stepping forward, giving a slight bow.

  "Hello Sage, we've come seeking—"

  A raised palm cut her off, and the Pokemon shook its head.

  "Florg, ges," it explained, stepping out of the way and waving a hand toward the trunk.

  Moss parted, revealing that the tree was hollow. There was a haze blocking their sight further, and Tanya was about to refuse to enter such a cramped space when mist flooded out.

  Her reaction was quick, and a hexagonal shield was projected in front of her.

  "Bin," Carbink said, nudging her with disapproval. "Car."

  'Not hostile,' Ralts informed a moment later, and Tanya let the shield fall.

  The glowing pink mist didn't stop, swirling around their group. Each rotation had it travel higher, and it created a sort of cocoon before bursting and throwing the grove into darkness. As if to compensate, the grass lit up, taking on an eerie glow that provided only enough light to see shapes.

  One such shape emerged from the tree, and before she could wonder what it was, a single ray of sunlight shone down.

  The Florges took a deep bow, with the Floette following and then the Flabébé. Tanya had questions, but they would have to wait, and she mimicked their actions, bowing to the sage.

  "Floet," the sage's angelic voice echoed through the grove. "Ette."

  One of those questions was why a Florges would be bowing to a Floette.