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Yumi shook her head, feeling a pang of regret. "No. Well, in passing, yes. I hired him to work on the website for the casino, and he's done a pretty good job so far. But we haven't exactly hung out."[break][break]

The grass rustled, and a Mienfoo hopped out onto the path ahead of them. As they neared, Suimei the Popplio lulled the Fighting-type to slumber with SING. Yumi threw another Pokéball.[break][break]

Then she stopped walking and glanced back over her shoulder at the path they had traversed. They'd walked quite a distance from Lavaridge Town; the town was much farther away than she expected.[break][break]

Turning to Enzo, she asked, "Should we start heading back? I'd love a dip in the hot spring after this walk."

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A call from the Clamperl Diving event's organizers announced that the event would wrap up in an hour. That meant Yumi could only dive a couple more times before she had to pack up for the day and go home. With that in mind, she sought an object that looked like it might have a lot of value.[break][break]

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Yumi nodded at Temp. "I need to find Hitoshi, too. These caramel apples don't look like the type that can last a while before they start to get all soggy and weird."[break][break]

She waved her hand at her fellow Rocket, a smirk curling her lips.[break][break]

"Thanks for keeping me from being super bored."[break][break]

And then she was off, weaving into the crowd with one hand carrying her purchases and another on her purse. The press of people surrounded her, and then she was gone from sight.

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Ignorant of Temp's inner musings, Yumi walked up to the cotton candy stand and ordered a cone, a strawberry and blueberry mix. Then she rejoined her companion where he was perusing the caramel apples.[break][break]

Yumi munched on a clump of airy spun sugar, then took out her wallet again. "I'll buy two caramel apples, too, actually. I think Hitoshi might want one."[break][break]

While the stand attendant bagged their purchases, she glanced up at the Ferris wheel turning above them. Its endless cycle of blinking colored lights was mesmerizing. She only tore her gaze away when the attendant called for her attention and handed her the plastic bag.

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The sickeningly sweet aroma of carnival snacks filled the air as Yumi and Temp passed into a section designated for food stalls. She also hadn't eaten, but most of what passed as "snacks" at the fair turned her stomach.[break][break]

She examined Temp's earring from afar. A closer inspection would indeed have revealed the natural materials used in its creation, but she minded his personal space and did not draw near.[break][break]

"Gaudiness is not the mark of richness or wealth," Yumi said, with more seriousness than anything she'd displayed thus far. She was Old Money, and everyone who was Old Money knew that.[break][break]

Without another word of explanation, she turned her attention back to the food stalls. "I'd like some cotton candy, I think. Want some?"

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"I will," Yumi promised with a light laugh.[break][break]

She listened as Temp described the sort of things he and Cillian liked—none of which surprised her. Most people, she assumed, preferred things that had some use. Even she, who liked pretty things that sat on shelves, had to agree.[break][break]

"No, nothing like that," she said, shaking her head. Since the souvenir booth didn't satisfy either of them, she turned away from it.[break][break]

"I like expensive things. Perfume, jewelry, clothes. I'm actually working to launch my own fashion brand soon, perhaps by the end of the year."[break][break]

Running the casino had stalled some of her progress in that project. Now that operations had been running smoothly for a couple of months, though, she hoped to return to drawing designs soon.

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Two Pokéballs in a row. Who would have thought?[break][break]

Yumi decided, before diving into the water for another search, that the universe should clearly give her something very rare and valuable. To balance out her karmic debt, or something like that.[break][break]

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Knowing Temp was married to one of the underbosses of Team Rocket shielded Yumi from much of the suave charm he deployed while handing her the box of jewelry. Instead of swooning, she blinked in alarm at the offering.[break][break]

"They really gave this away as a prize?" she asked, disbelieving. Finally, she took the box from him and examined the set with a critical eye. "I doubt any of this is as valuable as they want people to think. I know a pawnbroker who could tell me its real worth."[break][break]

Yumi tucked the box away in her purse, destined to forget about it until several days later. Then she turned her attention to the trinkets on the booth.[break][break]

"Fair enough. What would suit you two instead?"

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"What?!" Yumi exclaimed, her gaze snapping to Danny in alarm, awe, and a little bit of fear. "It is?!"[break][break]

Even though she knew to expect Ultra Beasts in these realms beyond the rifts, she hadn't really imagined running into one during her first expedition without a superior officer.[break][break]

Gritting her teeth, she faced the slender Pokémon busying itself with facing down Danny's Centiskorch. While the Ultra Beast kicked it into the air, Yumi ripped a Pokéball off her belt and threw it to the ground.[break][break]

When the light faded, her Scream Tail stood alongside her Gallade.[break][break]

"Take care of that thing for us!" Yumi ordered.[break][break]

Charging with shocking speed, her Scream Tail attacked the Ultra Beast with PLAY ROUGH. At the same time, her Gallade aimed another PSYBEAM.[break][break]

Battered and severely outnumbered, the strange Pokémon decided it had enough. Uttering a horrible screech of frustration, it turned and fled into the desert.[break][break]

In the silence that followed, Yumi breathed a deep sigh of relief. "Holy shit," she said to Danny.[break][break]

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Yumi responded to Temp's teasing comment with only a mild smile, unaffected by the display of charisma. She waited until he was on the back of the mechanical Tauros before starting the recording on her phone.[break][break]

He managed to stay on the entire time, much to her surprise. When he rejoined her outside the queue, she turned her phone around to show him the video.[break][break]

"I've already sent it to your husband," she said. "He can decide."[break][break]

Before Temp could suggest Yumi take her turn, she was already stepping away with the confidence of a woman who expected to be followed.[break][break]

"Maybe we should bring back some souvenirs," she suggested as she neared a Joyland booth. All four of its walls were covered in trinkets and knicknacks.

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The emergence from the water only to find a Pokéball in hand would have disappointed Yumi was it not for the fact that Pokéballs were quite useful, even if they were cheaply and easily obtained from the market. Still, collecting it spurred her to dive again, hoping for something more exciting.[break][break]

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