"-SUWA SHIRO WON THE POPULAR VOTE WITH 78,3% MAJORITY. THE NEWLY INSTATED SECRETARY OF THE NIHON REBUILDING COMMITTEE WILL ADDRESS THE NATION TOMORROW AT-"

With a buzz, the fluorescent light in the far corner decided to blink a few more times, either to get Mia's attention, or to just be a little shit again. Seriously, the thing had been annoying her for three shifts by now, incessantly, if infrequently, blinking, systematically plunging that corner into deep nighty darkness.

And the worst thing, she could not just replace the bloody thing.

This little gas station Mia was working at was poorly supplied at the best of times. They've only got offbrand crap with long shelf life, since their only two shitty, rattly fridges tended to break down at the worst possible times, and their AC was practically a cardboard cutout.

Also, the slushy machine at the back was out of order since before Mia graduated from school ten years ago

The station was poorly supplied at the best of times. And these were not the best of times.

"-NOW THAT WE'VE STOMPED OUT THE LAST LEAGUE STRONGHOLD IN THE COUNTRY, WE NEED A STRONG, DEPENDABLE LEADER. SOMEONE WHO WON'T ALLOW OUR NATION TO SETTLE BACK INTO THE SWAMP MADE BY THE LEAGUE-"

Ah, the news block on the only channel picked up by the cheap antenna ended, and now it was time for talking heads who understood nothing of the sludge they spewed. Wonderful.

Just a couple of weeks ago, there was a big-ass revolution, people going to the streets to cast down the rotten idol that was the Pokemon League. Not just in the big cities either - even in the small town of Okaya where Mia lived, the League officials were literally dragged into streets and stoned to death, because yeah, lobotomising hundreds of thousands of Pokemon was not very cool of the League.

Where was Mia at that very crucial moment in nation's history?

Why, of course she was at home, sleeping through most of it after a 12 hours night shift at this very gas station, located smack in the middle between the towns of Okaya and Shiojiri! How could you tell?

So yeah, the weird revolution/purge hybrid kinda circled around her, and her boring-ass 5/2. The Rebuilding Committee promised some 'big, positive changes to every aspect of their lives', but that was in the nebulous future which could come either next week, next year, next century, or never - depending on how corrupt the new administration was. And given how Mia was still working at this shoddy gas station reeking of gasoline and cheap lavender air freshener? Yeah, she was not holding her breath.

"-WHAT WE ALL HAVE TO ASK IS, HOW FAR UP THE CHAIN THIS AMNESTY YOU SPEAK OF SHOULD GO? SHOULD WE SPARE ACE TRAINERS AND BREEDERS WHO WERE 'JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS' WHILE SENDING POKEMON TO THE CHOPPING BLOCK? OR NURSES WHO WERE 'JUST DOING THEIR JOBS' WHILE ALLOWING THOUSANDS OF POKEMON TO SUFFER AND DIE? WHAT LEVEL OF CORRUPTION SHOWN BY THE LEAGUE COULD BE CONSIDERED-"

Ughhh, she was almost tempted to either turn the TV off, or switch the channel to some quality white noise. But the imminent boredom was even worse than having to listen to a guy who went way past Pokemon welfare, overshot Pokemon rights by a wide margin, and landed straight into 'Team Plasma pamphlet' territory.

Her sanity could only take so much silence or-

Suddenly, with a familiar ding, the door opened, jolting Mia out of her daze.

And wow.

Tall.

Now, Mia was not a short woman. 157 cm was not short. It was an average height, thank you very much. But the woman that strode in just now, sporting a vintage Goodra hoodie and a face mask? Was over 180. Maybe even closer to 190. Which was, you know, ridiculously tall.

Probably a foreigner.

The Goodra hoodie nodded to Mia, and then went straight to the refrigerators, checking what was available. It was kinda difficult to see the exact process from the register, but after rummaging for a bit, the foreigner girl managed to find a couple of bottles Mia only vaguely remembered putting in there a few months ago. Sar-something. They've stocked, like, five bottles, and only managed to sell three since then.

"Huh, didn't expect to find any sarsaparilla here," the tall woman noted, returning to the register, "You have any more?"

"No, those are the last two bottles"

"Lucky," the Goodra hoodie reached into her pocket, and put a thousand yen banknote at the counter, "I'll pay for the bottles now. Been a while since I've had any"

The foreigner with a surprisingly nonexistent accent barely waited for Mia to ring up the bottles, before cracking one of them open, pulling down her mask and greedily raising the bottle to her lips. Her full, plump lips.

Oh no, she was hot.

The bottle was half-empty in just a few seconds.

"Ahh, that hit the spot~"

"Doesn't that stuff tastes like inside of a pharmacy?" the tall woman raised one brow at Mai, "Uh… One of our regulars complained"

"It kinda does? Kinda medicinal flavour, and not too sweet. Like a better cola"

"'Medicinal flavour'. Better cola," Mia couldn't help but deadpan.

"Better to me, at least," the foreigner rolled her eyes, before drinking the rest of the bottle in just a few gulps, "May I leave the second bottle here? Gotta get some more stuff"

"Yeah, sure."

As the hot foreigner went to check the rest of the isles, a car stopped outside. Another customer, huh.

With another ding, a 40-something guy with greying hair and Gucci-brand eyebags which spoke of zero sleep in what could had been a millennia, shambled towards the fridges, and then returned with three cans of iced coffee, putting them on the counter, and then nearly keeling over while Mia rang them - only for a ringing phone to jostle the poor guy awake.

"Detective Takanashi speaking," he drawled, brow furrowed and nose crinkled, as if he was mustering all the necessary willpower to stay awake through the call, "Yes sir, I'm currently near Shiojiri, Nagano prefe- Yes, sir. No, sir. I'll be in Tokyo tomorrow evening. No. Since I was relieved of that Alakazam, I can only travel by conventional means, sir. I'll try to get there earlier, but I can't break the sound barrier on a rental- Yes, sir. Good night, sir," the, apparently, police guy put the phone back in his pocket, and looked at Mia, "Can I use your toilet?"

"Yeah, one minute," she reached for the key, and went to unlock the requested door, "Tell you what, drink some of that coffee, and have a nap in there. I'll wake you in twenty"

The officer stumbled for a moment, looking at Mia for a few seconds like he was just concussed with an oar, mumbled a 'thank you' and went in.

Yeah, yeah, all cops are bastards, but a driver as sleep deprived as Takanashi was as much of a threat on the road as a drunk driver. So it was practically a community service on Mia's part right there.

Oh, the hot foreigner woman was back, with… Basically, all of their protein bars, and a few bags of dry Pokemon kibble. Also, a carton of gelatine and a few sashes of almost expired agar-agar she somehow managed to find

"Huh, forgot we've had any," Mia admitted, ringing the gelatine.

"Good thing too, I was running out"

"You on a trip?"

"Yeah, hiking," the foreigner shrugged.

"Just passing through these parts"

"Yup"

So she was not gonna see this woman around, huh.

Sigh.

The tall woman paid in a bunch of crisp 1000 yen banknotes, threw her groceries into the backpack she was carrying, and left with a short, if very nice, goodbye-and-thank-you.

As Mia sent the foreigner off into the night with her eyes, she looked at the clock and, with another sigh, went to wake up the sleepy toilet cop.