Sylveon failed to achieve the desired result. This Heracross actually got along quite well with Pinsir, or they wouldn't have been resting in the same tree.
Their relationship was like that of classmates sharing a bunk bed. A few little disagreements were nothing serious; a brief scuffle settled things, and they went right back to sucking tree sap.
This time, though, Pinsir went to the treetop while Heracross stayed at the bottom.
"Come on. There'll be plenty of battles for you to watch in a few days."
Whether Sylveon enjoyed a bit of excitement or was interested in battles, that desire to watch was easy enough to satisfy.
Before long, Xin Mu found a teahouse still open that evening. As for its name...
He couldn't read it.
He really couldn't make out those stylized traditional characters. In any case, it served evening tea, the counterpart to morning tea, with a fairly similar selection overall.
The tables and chairs were wooden, the stools a little worn. The decor didn't look particularly new, but diners streamed in without pause, and there was even a long line.
It was rather noisy inside, and to Xin Mu, the local dialect was encrypted communication. He couldn't understand a single word.
Well, not quite. He could make out "bloody bastard" perfectly clearly. "How many?"
"One person and six Pokémon. Do you have a larger private room?"
"The private rooms are all taken, but we still have a table with plenty of space. What kinds of Pokémon?"
"Meowscarada, Lucario..."
After hearing Xin Mu list them, the server led him inside, explaining along the way, "Pokémon have to pay the tea charge too.
"Seven per head.
"What tea would you like? Plain water costs the same."
Customs varied from place to place. Tea charges were customary here, and