He’d seen so much shit going down.

It was like that previous time all over again, only exacerbated because of all the clearly poisonous mochi that were being left behind at the multiple ‘crime scenes’ across the region.

Thankfully, though, there were enough capable people who were actively working against the tide of infection. Kind of reminded him of that mass outbreak a few years ago that sent most everyone into isolation…

He kept forgetting he wasn’t a person of authority anymore, so he’d almost replied to her in such a way he was about to sound like he was her boss or something.

Thankfully he caught himself in time.

“Too many things going on all at once,” he would muse quietly.

“With the number of poisoned seeking treatment—especially the wild Pokémon that need to be rehabilitated after they recover and are released back into the wild? We’ve all got our hands full.”

At least Oldale was one of the quieter towns!

“You ever felt like a headless Torchic running around so many places all at once trying to solve all the problems at the same time?” he would ask her some time later after he returned to make a drop-off of crates that needed moving around.

With the way his companion had remarked when they’d officially joined the Ranger ranks, he would hold back the sigh he wanted to release.

“Normally, things should be quiet especially around these parts,” he would quietly reply, as he handed over a box of medical supplies to one frazzled looking nurse’s aide who also had the same set of bags under their eyes with a quiet look of determination.

For a few moments, the aide’s eyes widened in surprise to see someone from AQUA all the way out here, hastily muttering thanks before running away with the box of well-needed supplies.

“…but then again, this is Hoenn, so my advice to you would always be to keep your eyes open for anything unusual that happens out in this region.”

While he was aware of why the region attracted shit the way it did, he didn’t want to scare the other away.

“How do you find the Ranger work so far?” he would ask her a few moments later.

He couldn’t help but chuckle a little when she mentioned the part about it not being as romantic as they’d envisioned.

“You have a rose-tinted pair of glasses, if you don’t mind my asking?” he would ask her as he then moved another heavy box in just one lifting motion; the better to get the other box that was trapped underneath it moved out from the pallet and opened.

Once the box he was carrying had been set back on the ground, he couldn’t help but laugh a little bit. Did she—did she really not know?

Or maybe ignorance was bliss?

“Oh… well… about that,” he would begin, before a couple of wizened old men would come inching slowly over, with a request for some more medical supplies.

He wondered how lumia peura was doing out here, though… must be working overtime or something.

“Here you go,” he would quietly hand the two old men the requested items, before helping them get on their way.

“…wait a minute, aren’t you the one who published that Pecha pastry recipe on HNN?” he would attempt to deflect; the name sitting on the tip of his tongue…