"Meowth's Sushi Shop, healthy and delicious. Come and try it, meow."
Meowth stood on its two feet in a kimono, a paper fan in its hand, calling the customers in.
Behind it James and Jessie, in kimonos as well, were selling the sushi, all smiles as they passed it over, took the money and counted out the change.
It all went practised and easy, without a hitch anywhere.
"It's a Meowth."
"Goodness, the Meowth can talk. How marvellous."
"Surely not. Couldn't it be carrying some sort of speaker on it, with the Meowth only working its mouth to match?"
"That'll be it. I've never seen a Meowth that could talk. It is a rarity."
..................
The visitors nearby talked it over among themselves, and the oddity of the Meowth drew in a good many customers, most of them out of curiosity; they came up to ask, were talked round by the Meowth, and bought sushi while they were about it.
That run of custom had the stallholders round about sick with envy.
One Meowth for a signboard and it could pull in so many people; if they had it, every article they had in hand would be sold.
"Meow, welcome, welcome. Meowth's Sushi Shop, nourishing and healthy."
"Five Poké Dollars a portion. You can't be cheated, you can't lose out."
"Delicious, guaranteed. Everyone who's had it says so."
Meowth went on with the patter, and brought in a good many customers one after another.
"The Meowth trio. There isn't a thing they can't do except catch that Pikachu."
Vance stood to one side, watching quietly, watching the three of them at their work.
At this rate the three of them would make a fair amount of money.
In the anime the three of them were forever turning up at conferences selling things, and doing rather well out of it, and coming away with a good deal of capital.
And then putting the capital into catching that Pikachu.
The facts proved the trio had a decent head for business; the thing was going like a house on fire.
"Welcome, wel... come — meow!!"
Meowth, in the middle of greeting a customer, turned its head and saw a young man watching it with a smile all over his face. It looked again: it was its own Branch Chief, and it gave a start.
"Meowth, what are you screeching about?"
Jessie said it sharply. Meowth's yelp had displeased her, and startled her besides.
"Just carry on as usual. There's no need to be nervous."
Vance said it mildly, coming round Meowth to the front of the stall.
"Ah, ah..."
The sight of Vance made James and Jessie both nervous. They wanted to say something, but there were people about.
"What's the surprise? You look as though you'd seen a dead man. Am I so frightening?"
"No... no."
"Well then. One portion of sushi for me."
Vance said it with a smile.
"Right you are."
James was over his nerves. He took a portion of sushi, wrapped it and handed it across.
"Here."
Vance took out a Poké Dollar note.
"Heh heh, how could we take your money?"
James pushed it back and would not have it, and Jessie nodded along with him.
"That'll do. Business is business. Take it."
Vance tossed the note over. It landed neatly where they kept the money, and he took the sushi and turned away.
He meant to walk about a while yet and take his ease. It was not often he had the chance.
He tried a mouthful of the sushi. It was not bad at all — no wonder there were so many people.
So it was not only the Meowth pulling them in; the goods themselves would do.
Two or three mouthfuls finished the sushi, and he walked on with the two Kirlia, buying them some small present here and there.
People who saw Vance with two Kirlia gave him envious looks.
As he wandered, Trainers came up to challenge him, and having nothing else on he took a few of them.
The result was a clean sweep. Some of them showed less than the Pokémon out in the wild; Zoroark and the Kirlia beat them as though they were playing.
The standard was a baby's game.
"No more. My Pokémon need a rest. That's enough of it."
A few bouts and there was truly nothing in it. Vance had no wish to go on, so he stopped fighting and pushed his way out of the crowd.
Once out, he felt a gaze on him. He looked up and saw a tall young woman with a fine spirited face, smiling at him.
"Cerise."
"Vance."
They greeted each other. It was the first time they had met since the recruits' trial.
In a drinks shop the two of them sat facing each other.
"It's been a long while. I couldn't even get hold of you. Where is it you're doing so well for yourself?"
Cerise said it all smiles.
"Why, are you recruiting me again? What are the terms? Is there a pseudo-legendary in it for me?"
Vance raised an eyebrow and said it smiling as well.
"Ha ha." Cerise laughed outright, and said, amused, "I couldn't afford you. A pseudo-legendary, indeed. As things stand I'd be hard put to it to produce a starter. If you were willing, I could still arrange a starter for you. How's that? Worth thinking over."
"You can't mean it. Nolan tells me you're a Gym-class Psychic now, quite a personage. Can't you lay hands on eight or ten pseudo-legendaries?"
Vance laid it on thick.
"The things you dare say. Eight or ten. One would be doing well."
Cerise rolled her eyes. Her breakthrough to Gym-class Psychic had brought her a great deal of attention from Team Rocket, and the pseudo-legendary was still under application; it had not come to hand yet.
She knew Vance was joking, though.
They had come out of the same intake of recruits, and Cerise thought well of Vance. Even now, knowing her for a Gym-class Psychic, he was not stiff or distant with her but would joke with her still, and that turn of mind said a good deal for him.
Since breaking through to Gym-class Psychic, Cerise had reckoned herself at the very top of Team Rocket's younger generation.
At least she had not yet seen anybody better than she was.
What she did not know was that the man in front of her had gone a very long way past her.
He had lately broken through to Elite-Four-class; and even setting that aside, Gym-class was a long way behind him.
"Enough nonsense. You're here for the Conference as well, I take it. How is it, then — are you sure of the victory?"
"Certainly I am."
Vance answered, confidence all over his face.
"Good. I'll see you in the final, then."
"In the final."
Cerise narrowed her eyes at Vance, feeling more and more that there was no getting to the bottom of him.
The man was as handsome as ever, and his bearing deeper and more self-possessed than before.
Had he something to stand on? How far had his strength come by now? It made her curious.