“Excuse me, do you need any help?”

I looked up to find a young girl standing expectantly nearby, dressed in the black polo and slacks that apparently all retail workers wore, regardless of which world you were on. A small name tag was clipped to the front of her shirt, reading “Ai.”

“Yes, actually, I’ve been trying to figure out what’s different between these two pairs of hose.”

I held up the items in question, two different sets of black pantyhose.

“They both look and feel the same, but this one says that it’s “Journey Safe” and costs almost four times as much as the other. Why is that?”

“Oh! I can actually answer that one! You see this brand is made from the normal nylon material, but this one is made from Spinarak silk. Please come on up to the counter, we actually have a station set up for demonstrations!”

Bemused, I dropped both sets of hose into my shopping cart and followed Ai up to one of the customer service counters. Sure enough, there were two mannequins mounted near the counter, each one wearing a set of the hose.

One was ripped and torn, looking like a rabid Poochyena had attacked it, while the other one was nearly pristine with only a few pills and stretched areas.

“The one on the left is the regular brand.” Ai pulled out a safety knife, the kind used to open cardboard boxes, and extended the blade. “See how easily it tears?”

Sure enough as Ai slashed at the hose it ripped open.

“You can also use your hands!”

I nodded as the girl picked at the hose. Even the nicest tights back home were more fragile than I liked, and I had gone through more pairs than I liked to admit.

“But this is the Spinarak silk pair!”

With an eagerness that was almost scary Ai turned and slashed at the other pair of hose. She put all of her force into it but the blade skittered across the fabric, leaving not a single sign of it’s passing.

“Oh,” I blinked. “Wow, that’s impressive.”

“It sure is! It’s called “Journey Safe” because it’s made for Trainers who are going on their Journey but still want to look their best! This way no plants, rocks, or even Pokémon can ruin your style!”

She frowned, and leaned in conspiratorially. “Just between me and you though, they’re not perfect. Pokémon with really sharp teeth or claws can still tear them.”

I nodded seriously. “I understand.”

“But they’re also really warm!” Ai said, perking up. “Since they’re made from Spinarak silk they’re also insulated, meaning that despite being the same thickness as regular nylon and just as sheer, they keep your legs warm. If you go all the way north to Lake Acuity in winter you’ll still need to wear some kind of snow boots and pants, but for most other situations these will be perfect!”

I considered the pair of tights in my cart, then looked down at Venus. She had insisted on coming along for the shopping trip, while Zetian was enjoying the Pokémon Center. Apparently they had a public garden in a nearby park with some very nice smelling flowers. Since he was staying at the same Center, Lucas had volunteered to watch her while I went shopping.

Zetian’s fascination with the city had quickly died out, and I could tell that she wasn’t comfortable here. There were too many people, the buildings were too tall, and despite a park on almost every block, there weren't enough trees and plant life for her. It was better than the caves, but not by much.

Which was totally fair in my opinion, and I was starting to think she had the right idea. There were too many people, especially after spending weeks living by myself in the woods.

Although, there was also good coffee and plenty of shopping, so I considered it a toss-up.

Venus was more than happy to help me shop though, and she had carefully considered each and every item before either giving me a nod, or a shake of her head.

Annoyingly, she was right almost every time.

Her head cocked from one side to the other as she considered the two pairs of hose, and Ai cooed quietly off to the side.

“So cute!” I heard her whisper, and Venus’ tail twitched.

Eventually, the Eevee settled on her pick, placing a paw over the special Spinarak silk pair.

I was going to protest, but remembered that I now had more than enough money to buy what I wanted to.

“Alright, I guess I’m getting these ones.”

“Great, do you need any other help?”

Venus shot me a look, and I sighed. She had already proven her worth back in Sandgem with fashion, but somebody who was more knowledgeable about the trends of this world would probably help a lot.

“Yeah actually, do you think you can help me pick out some outfits? I’ve been out in the woods for a little bit and don’t really know what’s in right now.”

“I’d be happy to!”

Ai hesitated, looking down at Venus.

“Would it be okay if I…”

Venus sat up and moved under the girl’s outstretched hand, placing it on her own head.

Ai practically melted as she scratched Venus, and the Eevee shot me a triumphant look that was entirely too smug.

/^\

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

I left the massive department store with a lot less money than I had entered it with, but I didn’t feel disappointed.

After depositing the check into my account, and making a number of phone calls to ensure that I really was who I said I was and that the Pokémon League was truly trying to deposit so much money, I had made my way down to the shopping district of Jubilife City.

There were some stores with prices that made even the massive check Rowan had given me seem small, and I couldn’t help but wonder who had that kind of cash to be throwing around. Eventually, I had settled on doing the bulk of my shopping at the Jubilife Department Store, which was really a massive mall with dozens of shops.

My old clothes had been bought because they had been sturdy and cheap, but now that I actually had some money, I was willing to pay for something that would last and look good. The knees of my old jeans were already starting to wear out, and the purple hoodie had a number of small rips and stains that I had failed at trying to fix.

Living at a campsite for about a month didn’t really allow me to properly launder my clothes.

I had picked up several pairs of the Spinarak silk tights, as well as a pair of insulated hiking pants of the same fabric. I was planning on heading north anyways, so I figured I would be prepared for whenever that happened.

A couple of skirts were also picked up, as well as a pair of sturdy leather hiking boots that came most of the way up my calves.

Ai had assured me that all of the leather was ethically sourced from Pokémon who had knowingly signed a contract allowing their skin and other materials to be used after they died a natural death. I guess it was a lot like organ donation in that way, except in the service of fashion.

Apparently their actual organs were also used for important surgeries on other Pokémon, so that helped alleviate some of my worries.

T-shirts, halter tops, and a number of sweaters and jackets were all added to my quickly growing wardrobe, along with some exercise leggings, some sports tops, and some running shoes.

Much to my dismay, running shoes didn’t actually make you run faster than normal, they were just regular exercise shoes.

I was getting awfully close to copying Serena’s look from the games and anime, but I figured she was still a young kid and a couple of years away from being a protagonist, so if anything she would be copying me.

The only reason I was able to carry even a fraction of all of my new purchases was because of the bag slung over one shoulder.

The Silph Co. Extradimensional Storage Bag was a marvel of technology that seemed to break both the laws of physics and my own understanding of the world around me. Thanks to my recent windfall, courtesy of the Hoenn Pokémon League, I finally had enough money to buy one of the impossible bags.

They were made with the same technology that made Poké Balls able to function. Which made sense, until I realized that they were able to make Poké Balls work hundreds of years ago back in Hisui, and they were made with apricorns of all things.

I had even tried looking at some of the math behind it, over a month ago back in Rowan’s lab. The exact science behind it was unfortunately locked behind patents and secret formulas held by Silph Co. and the Devon Corporation, along with the companies that licensed the technology to manufacture third party variants. But what was publicly accessible was such high level math that at one point there were not even any numbers, just symbols that I didn’t recognize. The entire experience had left me with a headache, and I had to just accept that it was the next best thing to magic, and leave it at that.

They had created a pocket dimension for living creatures before they had figured out the flip phone, which said a lot about this world’s priorities.

Still, I couldn’t complain, since it allowed me to carry an entire small wardrobe’s amount of clothes, my previous hiking and camping gear, an actual sleeping cot, food other than berries and fish, a specialized Bug-type grooming kit for Zetian, and more.

I had sprung for one of the larger options, which had cost so much money that I actually felt nauseous, but it wasn’t even the largest storage bag they had. There were smaller, cheaper options as well, but I wanted to make sure that I had the space to store anything I needed.

After everything was bought, I was left with about a half of my reward money, which was then put into a bank Professor Rowan had recommended. After all, I wasn’t going to be a Lab Trainer forever, and it would be good to have a nest egg to fall back on.

/^\

“Aw Alina! Do you really have to leave so soon?”

Lucas whined from where he was slumped over the edge of the couch, staring at me, as I finished putting my camping gear into the bag. There was something endlessly amusing to taking an entire tent and sliding it into a small backpack, and to also be able to reach your hand into the bag and somehow know everything that was stored inside, and pull it out with a thought.

It really was the next best thing to magic.

“Yeah Lucas, I gotta go.”

“But what’s the rush? The League season doesn’t start for another couple of weeks, and you’ve barely explored Jubilife at all!”

He flopped his arm around dramatically, and I smiled at the kid’s antics.

“I’m heading up to Eterna City early, I know somebody who went up there for the Quadrathlon and I figured it would be nice to support them. Besides, the city’s a bit too much for me and my Pokémon right now. You’ve seen how anxious Zetian has been lately.”

Lucas grumbled, but didn’t push it. Zetian had been getting stressed out by how many people there were, spending almost all of her time inside her ball, and Venus hadn’t been much better. I was pretty sure it was only her dislike of being in the Poké Ball that stopped her from staying in there.

And, truth be told, I was also getting sick of the city as well. I had never really liked cities, but I was able to tolerate them back on Earth. The cities in this world were like night and day of course, being so much better, but even then it was still too much for me. Too many people, too many sounds, too many things going on.

I frowned at the thought as I slid my new cooking pot into my bag. What I was really concerned about was my newfound reluctance to be around so many people.

It wasn’t entirely a new thing, as a kid I had been anxious a lot, either due to my then-unknown gender dysphoria or the bad living situation I’d grown up in. Back then, I had reacted to everything with fear, which had turned to anger as I tried to lash out at things that I thought could hurt me.

A lot of therapy had been needed to start to break down those gut instincts, and my transition had helped a lot as well. But now I was having those same flashes of anxiety whenever I was in a crowd and people came too close to me. I wasn’t feeling the same kind of anger I had when I was a kid, but there was something else…

The feeling of a cage’s bars started to press into my back, and I felt myself struggling to breathe.

“Alina?”

Lucas’ voice cut into my budding panic attack, concern clear in his tone.

I looked up to see him sitting properly on the edge of the couch and looking like he was seconds away from jumping to my side.

Taking a shaky breath, I smiled at him.

“I’m fine. Just some bad thoughts.”

“Uh huh.”

Lucas said in a tone that sounded entirely unconvinced. He was a smart kid.

“I’m okay. Or rather, I will be okay. Were you saying something?”

He hesitated, looking as if he wanted to keep prying, but sighed instead.

“Yeah, I was wondering if you wanted to have a battle before you left, but I’m not sure anymore.”

I bit the inside of my cheek in thought. I didn’t really want to battle, but at the same time it might actually do me some good.

Fresh air and something to take my mind off of things would probably help a lot, and it would be good exercise for Venus and Zetian.

“Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

Luas blinked. “Wait, really? Are you sure?”

“It’ll be good for us I think.”

“Alright… if you’re sure you’re feeling okay?”

“Lucas, I’m fine.” I smiled, and was only partially lying. “Come on, let’s go.”