The display was… something. She was pretty sure the opening move was Misty Terrain, followed by Grassy Terrain. Then there was something in the Sage's voice that appeared unnatural, but Tanya couldn't pin it down to a specific move.

  'Wasteful,' Ralts conveyed her thoughts, and Tanya was in agreement.

  Mostly, that is. Demonstrations of power had their use in prepping the field for negotiations, but the way Floette used these moves, while visually impressive, wasn't intimidating. Perhaps that was her point? A subtle showing of power designed to inform but not alarm the other party of her capability. If that was the case, it was respectable.

  The Pokemon herself, for all the reverence the others seemed to place on her, appeared painfully normal. There was nothing remarkable about her color or size, and the red flower, while more vibrant than the others she'd seen, was nothing extraordinary. The only thing out of place on her was the necklace she wore. It was composed of string wrapped around a red and black bead. The bead caught her eye, but she couldn't say why.

  Tanya took a mental step back and focused on the facts. There had to be nearly fifty Pokemon in this grove, and they all bowed to one. If that wasn't enough, there was a third-stage evolution among them. It was not definitive proof of Floette's personal strength, but it also wasn't something she could ignore.

  She seemed to recall this was a line that required a Shiny Stone for its final evolution. With such a blocker, it was probable that Floette had simply never found one and so was stuck at her current evolution stage, despite having an inordinate amount of power.

  Realizing she was staring, Tanya cleared her throat.

  "Thank you. We've come seeking—" Tanya paused, seeing Florges raise her head and shake it. A finger was raised to the Pokemon's mouth, and Tanya took the cue for what it was and waited.

  "Flo," the Pokemon said airily, waving her hand in the air. "Ette, flo."

  So she knew why they were here. It could have been this ability Tanya had heard about, but the more rational conclusion was that she was informed by one of her followers.

  Floette took a deep breath, and the tree behind her began to rustle. Leaves were ripped from their branches, soaring into the air. They resembled a storm above them, partially blocking the sun's rays.

  "Maw?" Mawile questioned, taking half a step forward.

  Tanya placed a hand on her shoulder, holding her back. This didn't read like an attack; it was too telegraphed.

  Confirming her prediction, whatever powered the leaves was cut off, and they began falling gently to the earth. A light breeze swept into the grove, throwing the discarded foliage into slight disarray.

  "Ette," Floette commanded, her voice containing that angelic quality. "Flo!"

  Despite not seeing the point, Tanya complied with the request and stuck out a hand, snatching a falling leaf at random.

  "Like this?" she asked for good measure, receiving a reassuring smile.

  Without needing to be given an order, Florges approached her and retrieved the leaf with both hands. She walked over to Floette, bowing deeply while presenting the leaf to the Sage.

  Floette grasped the bit of plant matter, and her hands ran over it, tracing its veins. The action reminded Tanya of palm reading. The Pokemon's eyes stayed glued to it for some time before traveling back to Tanya and company.

  "Ette," she announced, waving a hand. "Floette."

  With that said, she dropped the leaf and twirled her flower once before returning to the tree.

  The sound of clapping filled the grove as its residents rose, hurling praise onto their sage.

  "Fla!"

  "Float!"

  "Bebe!"

  "Ette!"

  Tanya gave the Sage the benefit of the doubt and seriously mulled over what she'd just been told. It took less than a second to confirm her initial assumption that the directions provided by Floette were, charitably speaking, dubious.

  "Excuse me," Tanya nearly shouted. Floette froze mid-step, and the clapping awkwardly died down. Realizing she had to mind her words, Tanya cautiously continued. "I apologize, but I think there's been a mix-up. What I seek cannot be inside of me."

  Floette turned back and tilted her head.

  "Floette?"

  Was she sure? Yes, she very much was. Physically speaking, her frame could not contain three hundred pounds of poacher.

  "Floet!" she declared, smacking one palm into another. "Floette!"

  She was claiming that was a test of Tanya's resolve. How did that make sense?

  Before she could politely voice her skepticism, Floette extended both arms, a ball of green light springing to life.

  Mawile raised a finger to her chin, tapping it in thought. A growl came from behind her, and she stuck out an arm, making sure Gabite would not lunge. She sent both Pokemon a small shake of her head.

  The Energy Ball hadn't been launched, and while she didn't know Floette's intention behind it, avoiding it should be child's play for all of them. If any of them managed to get hit, the remedial training provided would be worse than any wounds received.

  Floette stood there, both hands rotating around the ball. The energy within fluctuated, changing hues and density by the second. Shapes could almost be seen inside, and Floette peered at it intensely.

  "Ette," she said with a deep voice that, to Tanya, came off as forced. "Floet."

  The ball blinked out of existence, and Floette raised her chin high. Applause filled the grove again, and Tanya narrowed her eyes.

  Patience and persistence will light the way to what she sought?

  What kind of fortune cookie bullshit was that? She wanted actionable information, preferably coordinates, to where Dolan was shacking up. Her goal wasn't some vague quest, but a clearly defined objective.

  "I'm afraid that still doesn't answer my question," Tanya said, earning a series of gasps from the audience. "Can you please be more specific? I would greatly appreciate it."

  Floette stiffened for a moment. Her eyes seemed to tremble, but she managed to hold Tanya's stare. A bead of sweat was allowed to roll down the Pokemon's forehead as her mouth opened.

  "Floet," she repeated the same from earlier. "Et."

  No, this was not a test. This was nonsense.

  Floette raised her hands again, reaching toward the sky. Her body glowed white, and high above, a shooting star appeared, soaring into the distance.

  She pointed at the star and spoke with authority.

  "Floette, lo, te."

  Even if Tanya was the type to chase stars, which she wasn't, that was totally the move Wish, and there was no way Dolan was at the other end of it.

  She glanced around, seeing the looks of awe on the grove's denizens. Did they all seriously buy this fortune teller schtick?

  Pink eyes met hers, and Tanya wasn't sure which of them picked the word, but 'fraud' echoed prominently in her mind.

  At that moment, she came to the conclusion that in contrast to their bright colors, the Florges line was rather dull. It was the most reasonable explanation of how Floette had managed to hoodwink so many of her brethren.

  This presented an opportunity. It was risky, but with her team by her side, she felt confident in pulling it off.

  "Thank you for your great wisdom." Tanya offered platitudes for the benefit of the group. "Would it be possible to gain a private audience with your esteemed self?"

  In other words, would Floette please isolate herself from her followers to be more easily extorted? It was harsh, but Tanya's time was valuable, and Floette had just wasted it. She wouldn't go so far as to rob the Pokemon blind, but she'd get her reparations.

  Tanya did her best to present an innocent appearance as Floette's eyes roamed up and down her. She wasn't sure if she had passed the inspection, but the Pokemon's attention soon drifted to the team.

  Seconds turned to minutes, and Tanya suspected her intentions had been seen through. Her fingers tapped on her thigh, hoping those hours of study were not wasted. If they weren't, then her team now knew their roles should hostilities break out. Tanya herself would be responsible for taking Floette hostage. Once she secured her, it would be a tense but sound retreat.

  Floette swallowed, and her shoulders began to sag before being pulled back upright.

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

  "Floet," she finally said, surprising Tanya with the conviction in her voice. "Ette."

  She turned and passed through the layer of fog obscuring the interior of the trunk.

  Tanya's request being granted set her on edge again, and she tried to think of something she could have missed. Carbink had no such reservations, and before she could call him back, he disappeared through the door. Mawile chased after him, a disconcerting grin on her face.

  In fairness, that was the order she would have decided on. Carbink to withstand the alpha strike, and Mawile to punish the attacker. She paced after them, the rest of her team in tow.

  "Watch the door," Tanya ordered Gabite, knowing it would be a tight fit for the Pokemon. "And try not to start a fight you won't win."

  That would be any fight surrounded by fairies, but Gabite shoul— Gabite hopefully knew better.

  With some trepidation, Tanya stepped through the fog, and a myriad of smells and sights assaulted her senses.

  Her nose wrinkled. The prevalent scent was of freshly cut grass; however, there was something else underneath it. Not being able to place the smell, she took in the room. It wasn't as cramped as she had been led to believe, but that had less to do with the four meters of floor space and more to do with the height being double that length.

  There was a decent amount of light provided by the glowing moss that grew on the walls. It let her easily spot two large clay pots placed against the far wall. There were shelves behind them holding bowls and cups. In front of them, at the center of the room, was a small table sized to fit Floette. There was a deck of cards spilled over it, and bundles of non-fluorescent moss were pushed up against it, serving as seating.

  Mawile was next to the pots, knocking on one with her ear placed to its side while Carbink was… pushing a hammock?

  Above the pots was a hammock made of vines; it was currently occupied by a red-faced Floette. She swung lazily back and forth, with her hand holding her flower sweeping the air. Tanya couldn't clearly see her other hand, but she looked to be holding something.

  "Carbink," her chiding voice rang out. "What are you doing?"

  He didn't so much as turn to her as he replied.

  "Bin, bink!"

  It wasn't the worst of things, but there was no reason to waste his effort on it.

  "The 'not doing what strangers tell you' rule applies to sages as well—especially when they're fakes."

  Tanya had expected some reaction to calling out the Pokemon. What she hadn't expected was for the Pokemon to lazily turn her head and blow a raspberry at her.

  It was a dramatic shift from the way she carried herself outside, and Tanya frowned at the display.

  "Floooo, etttttttt," Floette said, waving down at Mawile.

  The words weren't incoherent, but there was an unexpected degree of difficulty in understanding them. It was only after Mawile opened the pot that Tanya gathered that Floette had set to 'help yourself.'

  A burning smell assaulted her nose. It was almost fruity but reminded her more of rubbing alcohol than anything.

  Mawile grabbed a cup, and her arm dipped into the container. Tanya pieced together what was about to happen, and dashing faster than she ever had before, she slapped the cup out of Mawile's hand.

  Or she tried to, as it was replaced in the last instant with a similar, but empty, cup. She was too slow to stop her movement, and the new cup shattered against the wall, breaking into several pieces.

  Tanya let out a breath while trying to slow down her breathing. Mawile reached out for another glass, and Tanya realized the danger hadn't passed. She grabbed Mawile by the collar and yanked her away from the pot, dragging the limp Pokemon and throwing her into one of the moss chairs.

  "Don't drink things offered by strangers," Tanya said, feeling this was something that shouldn't need explaining. "For all you know, it could be poisoned."

  There was a ruffling from the hammock, and Floette tipped out, falling to the floor in an uncoordinated heap. She walked back her thought as she observed the Pokemon's extended arm, holding the missing cup. Not a single drop had spilled during the fall.

  "Loetttt, ette!" Floette shouted from the floor, picking herself up. She swayed before planting her flower down to steady herself. Blinking for a few seconds, her eyes seemed to clear up, and she continued her tirade. "Flo! Floette!"

  Tanya stared at the Pokemon flatly before walking past her. She approached the jars and took a cup, filling it. She dipped a finger in the liquid before bringing it to her lips.

  Her face twisted.

  "Alcohol is considered a poison," she said while placing the cup back on the shelf. "And that's strong enough to power an engine."

  It had also been strong enough to make Floette drunk after a few sips, which was impressive in its own right.

  Tanya covered the lid back up, sealing the high-proof liquor away. Thankfully, she'd not hesitated; otherwise, she might have had to deal with a drunk Mawile.

  Tanya shivered at the thought.

  "Ette," Floette replied with indignation, taking a deep drink. "Flo!"

  If that was juice, then why did it look like a stiff breeze would topple the Pokemon over?

  "Whatever berries made these underwent fermentation; that means it's not juice," Tanya corrected the Pokemon's definition. "Why are you drinking in the first place? Aren't you afraid of what your followers might think?"

  Floette nearly fell to the ground again, a roaring laugh coming from her small frame. It was drawn out, and tears began to form. The Pokemon pulled on the white protrusions hanging off the side of her head.

  "Floette, te, etteeee," she said, her tongue laden with frustration. She rolled her head and managed to lose her balance, falling on her back while continuing her complaints. "Floet! Ette! Flooooo."

  The temper tantrum was undignified but informative. Tanya ran a hand down her face, concealing her expression as she recalled her own struggles. Once the action was complete, she looked down on Floette with not a trace of pity in her eyes.

  "You managed to trick a bunch of Pokemon into believing in your every word and action, boohoo."

  Was this a joke Being X was trying to play on her? If so, it fell flat. They weren't remotely similar. Living up to her soldier's image had her diving deep into the heart of the enemy. Floette just had to pretend to have the answers to things, and with what she witnessed outside, it wasn't a difficult task.

  "Flo! Et!" she yelled from her position on the floor. "Oet."

  Tanya snorted, crossing her arms and looking at the Pokemon dismissively.

  "Oh, forgive me. I failed to consider how trapped you must feel. It must be so hard to go about your days having everyone do what you ask."

  Floette's head rose, and she nodded enthusiastically, missing or ignoring the heavy sarcasm in Tanya's voice.

  "Floet," the Pokemon agreed with her. She raised her glass, and her face turned crestfallen as she realized it was empty. She turned on her belly and began crawling toward the jars. Tanya stepped in her way, removing the cup from her hand. "Ette!"

  "I think you've had enough," Tanya said while placing the cup with the others. "How did you even get into this position?"

  Furniture wasn't exclusive to humans, but the arrangement in this trunk didn't seem like something a wild Pokemon would come up with on their own, and the less said about the alcohol element, the better.

  "Floette, float, ette," she explained, talking into the floor.

  Tanya doubted it had 'just sort of happened.' The Pokemon was clearly trying to evade responsibility for her actions.

  Taking another look around, Tanya found nothing of value and sighed, running a hand through her hair.

  "Well, best of luck with your situation," she replied with a lack of sincerity. "We'll be going now. I'd recommend a vacation if they're really getting to you."

  She was tempted to make this her base of operations, but Floette seemed like a mess, and Tanya wanted no part of that.

  "Flo!" Floette's head shot up. She stumbled to her feet, smacking a fist into her palm as if coming upon a great realization. A white hand pointed at Tanya. "Floe, ette!"

  There were a lot of things not happening. High on that list was Floette tagging along, even if it was for a short while.

  "Maw," Mawile replied in an unmoved tone. She walked over to Floette, grabbed one of her arms, and raised her into the air, shaking her frail form. "Wile."

  Floette let it happen, a wide smile forming on her face.

  "Floette, te, ette," she admitted. "Ette, te."

  Tanya paused, somewhat impressed with how Floette could advertise her lack of combat ability with such pride. She'd phrased it as knowing her limits and when to stay out of the way, which was skill.

  'Burden,' Ralts supplied, which Tanya agreed with.

  Gesturing to Mawile to release her, Tanya turned for the door.

  "Flo, ette, floette," Floette spoke quickly and coherently for someone who was inebriated moments ago. "Ette, flo."

  Floette had just said she was helpless in combat, but now she was claiming to be the equivalent of a champion?

  Was she one of those compulsive liars? One thing was for sure: she was no champion.

  'Technically,' Ralts spoke into her head, accompanying it with a feeling of reluctance. 'True.'

  Tanya faced the Pokemon, who was resting against her flower. The smile had turned into a confident smirk.

  "Do you want to provide any context for that?"

  Floette cheerily shook her head in denial.

  Mawile snatched the flower, causing the Pokemon to hop unsteadily and wave her hands to prevent another fall. A knife soon planted itself in the floor before Floette.

  "Floe, ette," she said, holding her arms in surrender.

  The word equivalent was doing some heavy lifting. She'd been on the team of someone who won the title of Kalos Queen. It wasn't related to actual royalty, but to someone who won the Pokemon version of beauty pageants. If they were anything like her first world, that wasn't something worth boasting to her about.

  "And why did you leave such gainful employment?"

  Kalos Queens were celebrities. The amount of money they could pull in by simply wearing a particular brand of shoes dwarfed what Tanya had earned up until now, not counting her illiquid assets. Being a member of that team would have been a cushy assignment.

  "Floe, ette," she explained self-righteously.

  It was a neat response and painted Floette in a positive light, displaying her supposed moral high ground.

  Parting due to differing ethical standards may have caused others to praise Floette's character, but those sorts of values never appealed to Tanya.

  'Released in disgrace,' Ralts transmitted to her, painting an entirely different picture.

  Without knowing the exact details, Tanya already felt that description fit better.

  "Can you be more specific? There must have been an instance that triggered your departure."

  Floette tilted her head, the answer not coming readily.

  "Floe, ette, te," she said in a manner that conveyed her confusion.

  A Kalos Queen not wanting to win as badly as the alcoholic in front of her? Not only was that dubious, but it didn't answer her questions.

  'Drugged competition. Banned from future events. Title stripped.'

  What?

  Scenes flashed in her head. It was like flipping through a photo album. One that showed Floette replacing the juice of several finalists with some of her own making. It ended with Pokemon puking over judges and a medal hanging around Floette.

  "How did you only get banned for that?" Tanya found herself asking the cheater before her. "There had to have been criminal charges."

  She wasn't sure which laws Floette had broken, but with such a public spectacle, she should have been held accountable.

  "Floette, floe, ette," she said simply.

  "Why can't you tell me for another three years, five months, and seven days?"

  That was a very specific number, and to her ears, it sounded like another attempt to avoid the question.

  "Flo."

  Or the Pokemon could have signed an NDA. Tanya looked at Ralts, trying to contain her flabbergasted expression.

  'True…'

  This Pokemon had achieved a dangerous level of shamelessness.

  "That's all very," Tanya paused, searching for a diplomatic word before deciding to be honest. "Ridiculous. I don't think we'll find any common ground. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to track down a poacher."

  What she really needed to do was get away from this Pokemon. She was aiming to be a proper citizen and didn't want to spend time around a re-offender waiting to happen.

  Tanya had turned on her heel when a pondering voice rang out.

  "Flo?"

  Was she really going to try another parlor trick? Next, she'd be reading tarot cards.

  "Yes, that's his name," Tanya said in a tired fashion. "I presume your followers told you?"

  She received a shake of the head, but Tanya didn't buy it.

  "Floe." She spread her arms wide and then hopped once. "Floet."

  Tanya paused, realizing she'd never given their guides a description of the man or his traveling companion. Yet, Floette had just recited them both.

  "I—yes. That's who we're looking for," she eyed the Pokemon carefully. "How do you know that?"

  That chin was raised high again, and the Pokemon shouted decisively.

  "Flo! Ette!"

  In an action that made Tanya wonder if Mawile had any latent psychic abilities, her Pokemon grabbed Floette's heart-shaped stem and hoisted her upside down.

  Walking over, Tanya crouched so that she was level with Floette's face.

  "We've already established you're not a sage." She poked the Pokemon in the chest, causing her body to sway back. "So start talking, and maybe we can work something out."

  It was at that moment Tanya noticed that the smile on Floette's face hadn't budged. Her hand reached down to her waist, finding her pouch that contained her cash still in place.

  For some reason, she suddenly had the premonition she was the one about to be shaken down.

  1) She didn't know how to.

  2) This was the same road that left her on the streets.