I wanted to murder that little shit, Frank. I thought to myself as I walked through one of the Viridian Department stores. It's called the Viridian Elite Emporium, where "shopping meets excellence!" is their slogan at the front of the overly decorated entrance. The entrance alone consists of double doors framed by ornate, gold-trimmed archways with the store name above it in golden letters on rustic tree rings. And, if that wasn't enough, there's a maze of large potted plants, including lush weeping figs, arrays of potted orchids, and peace lilies set in metal trellis frameworks.
The only reason I stumbled into this fine establishment was to get away from the crowd of trainers who continued to insist on challenging the "One Eyed Ogre." Apparently, from what I could gather, Frankie had uploaded our battle video to the forums in an attempt to garner more interest in seeing me lose. Regardless, I was on a winning streak of ten to zero losses for both Champ and Beca, but they kept coming like a mob of relentless zombies. Then, I almost lost a match to a Graveler that got close enough to KO Champ before it went down. So, I did the most sensible thing and returned my Pokémon before running off to the city to hide. They chased after me as if they were whipped up into a weird battle-thirsty frenzy.
I was lucky to have found this department store, along with the maze of plants, and that was the good news. The bad news was that it was pretty far away from the actual store I needed to go to for my own pickup.
Still...
As I walked through the store, it became evident that it was more of a small mall, with my steps echoing on the waxed marble floor throughout the vast area, all the way up to the crystal chandeliers adorning the ceiling. I couldn't help but wonder, what in the Distortion is this place? There were a few fancily dressed people walking through the place, chatting, while servants carrying several bags' worth of merchandise followed a few feet behind them. A sense of disgust filled me at the sight of them using human servants. It wasn't commonly known, but even though the world wisely used Pokémon as helpers and workers to cut down on menial or humiliating jobs, there were still some disgusting folks that used others as their helpers, just to ride the self-centered high of using them, like our ancestors did long ago.
I fought back the urge to say something and kept moving forward with my head down. I didn't need to get involved or draw any more attention to myself. I quickly turned into one of the stores and found myself in a clothing store geared towards jackets, coats, and accessories. As far as I could see, it was all expensive items, like self-repairing jackets for one hundred thousand Pokédollars or a self-repairing jacket that could also change colors, camouflage, and had Kevlar-like material for two hundred thousand. I let out a low whistle when I saw that, along with the video display showing the demonstration of the jacket in use. It syncs up to a Pokétch, a Rotom phone, or, for those who have neither, it comes with an autonomous, voice-controlled remote. It reminds me of some of the higher-tech stuff that the elite spec ops of Team Rocket use.
The prices were absurd, though I couldn't help but remember that most of these could be found on the black market in Saffron. But Arceus be damned, the material was as smooth as Ariados silk and just as durable. I wasn't going to lie to myself; I wanted one despite the price. Shaking the thought out of my head, I kept moving down the aisles of the store into the accessory section. I hadn't seen any attendants or store clerks, so it was uncomfortable to be perusing without some form of assistance or a hovering persona.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as the rest of my body got goosebumps. I couldn't place it, but something about this place was off. I may not remember everything, but this place gave me the vibes of a Team Rocket front.
"Where is he?! Damn it! We've got to find him!"
"Not if we find him first! That money is ours!"
I could hear a commotion outside as I ducked behind some of the merchandise aisles to avoid being seen. Loud footsteps echoed on the marble flooring outside the small store as my challengers looked for me inside.
"Money? What are they talking about?"
My Rotom phone silently flew up to my face with a low backlight, just enough for me to see that Frankie had put out an official trainer bounty on me for five hundred thousand Pokédollars. My eyes bulged.
“What the fuck? Damn you, you asshole. The next time I see you, your ass is grass.” I cursed him quietly under my breath.
I swore to myself to get my revenge on the darn little runt for this immature stunt, but first to get out of here. Times like these I wish I had a Pokémon with the Teleport move so I can get to safety. It's fine. I can't do things the easy way; it'll make me rusty.
More footsteps sounded through the main hall of the store, or mini-mall at this point. Whatever this ridiculous place is. I looked up, and I could see the black domes of the cameras, which made me wonder if the security of this place already had me under watch.
Rotom let out a low beep to get my attention and showed me a small map of where I was. Several highlighted areas popped up along with names, and the main one standing out was a salon called Flareon's Flare, conveniently across from this store. Ah, I see what my phone was planning. I looked around to see if maybe I could find some - ah, there they are.
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I found a pair of black privacy glasses that were rectangular and had a thicker upper frame while allowing the lenses to cover the bottom of the eye without the need of a frame. I also found an Arcanine jaw-hinge mask that would cover the lower half of my face. Both would run me a little over twelve thousand, but it would be a decent price to pay for protection. I placed my phone on their respective podiums and transferred the money over, which unlocked the display cases. I grabbed them immediately, taking off the eyepatch and replacing it with the glasses while also putting on the mask.
I was about to leave the store and cross the street when I remembered my clothing would have me stick out as well. Swallowing my trepidation, I also bought the color-changing jacket, put it on, changed it to a dull shade of green, pulled the hood over my head, and headed over to the salon. A few trainers passed me by but didn't bother sparing a second glance as they hurriedly dove into the store behind me.
As I walked into the store, I could see the walls of Flareon's Flare adorned with deep crimson and warm orange hues, reminiscent of Flareon's fiery fur. The colors create a cozy yet energetic atmosphere that meshes well with the soft and diffused lighting, giving the space a comfortable and welcoming glow.
The seating arrangements consist of plush, flame-themed chairs and sofas that look as comfortable as they are visually appealing. Tables are designed with flame motifs and glass tops to reflect the warm ambiance.
In one corner, I could see a cozy fireplace. The fireplace consists of red and orange brick in a large dome shape with a cozy fire already going that fills the air with the scent of smoky pine. Above the fireplace, there's a large portrait of a majestic Flareon in all its fiery glory fighting against a Froslass.
The salon was mostly empty except for a bored-looking man in his early 20s with wavy red hair dressed in orange clothing with yellow flame motifs. When I walked in, a small bell rang, and he looked up. He was bewildered at first before a big smile plastered on his face.
"Hi! Come in, come in! What can I do for you? Do you need a trim, or maybe a shave? Your first time with us is our treat with a fifty percent discount."
He had a heavy proper accent that kind of reminded me of a Galarian accent. I walked further in to sit at one of the salon chairs, and it felt like I was sitting on a cloud of comfort. My body felt like I was being hugged by hundreds of Swablu wings, and the tension eased away.
"I would like for you to dye my hair a soft red color, trim it down crew-cut style, and shave my facial hair off," I told him, while pressing a button on the Arcanine mask to have it come down around my neck.
"Someone who knows what they like, eh? I like that. Normally, people come in here and inquire about what they think I should give them as if I have the answers to their beautification dilemmas," he started talking as he placed a salon cape around my neck.
"Anyway, don't you worry 'bout a thing. I know what to do with what you told me, and I'll get you looking as good as new," he grinned sweetly as he went to work.
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Finally, after three hours of having my hair changed, making it out of the mini-mall, and finding my way across the city, I made it to the Verdant View Café with fifteen minutes to spare. It was situated a few blocks away from the entrance to the Viridian Forest, which was heavily guarded and blocked off, and a pond filled with Poliwags, Goldeen, and a few other aquatic Pokémon.
The café itself was mostly outdoors with a picnic-style setting, including colorful tarped areas with misting fans. I sat down at one of the tables and waited. If it wasn't for the fact that this jacket was breathable and thin enough to ward off the heat, I'd be dying from the sunny day Viridian was having. They had the menus carved into the table itself and kept under a layer of silicone, which was a nice detail.
The menu items were typical café stuff, nothing extraordinary.
I heard a small Bulba noise from my right as a pink tendril waved in front of my eye. I looked in the direction it was coming from and saw a pink four-legged amphibian-like Pokémon resembling a frog with thick legs ending with three claws. It had a beautiful pink flower bulb on its back and was looking at me with adorable green eyes and a toothy smile. It was wearing a forest green visor on its head and a small forest green apron.
My heart melted at the sight of it as it gave me a cute Bulba sound in the form of an inquiring question. It was my first time seeing a pink Bulbasaur, and I wondered how such a rarity could be found here. Trying my hardest to hide my squealing on the inside, I ordered a glass of Hondew Berry juice to get me hydrated while I waited for this girl. Then I reconsidered and also ordered two Sitrus Berry bowls for Champ and Beca to eat for them to recover their strength.
I released them from their Poké Balls, and they both took defensive stances immediately before observing their surroundings and relaxing.
"Alright, guys, I managed to outrun them. Had to change my appearance, but at the very least we won't be hounded for now."
They both nodded numbly and sat down at the table. Beca let out a small excited chitter as the two bowls of Sitrus Berry chunks and my glass of Hondew Berry came to the table, courtesy of our lovely Bulbasaur waiter.
Champ tried his best to eat with dignity, but eventually caved in and scarfed down the berries like Beca. I chuckled at the look of embarrassment he had on his face when he noticed the Rotom phone recording him, a piece of Sitrus Berry dangling from the side of his mouth and Beca chittering in the background in the form of her laughter.
"My, my. I see you started the fun without me already. I hardly recognized you if it wasn't for your Tyrogue."
I heard an all too familiar gentle voice grace my ears. I looked to my left to finally see Meredith standing there in my blind spot. She had her vibrant wavy red hair hanging down around her, wearing a Cerulean dress with a green bow on her chest and in her hair. She was beaming at me with a pleased smile on her face.
Arceus, I felt… I felt… nothing.
I was surprised; I guess having regained some of my memories brought back some of my common sense.
I returned the smile to her, knowing that today's “date” should be good now that I won’t have rose tinted glasses disrupting my view.