Roy walked along, intimately holding Delia and Misty in his arms.
Eevee rolled over and looked at its master, only to see him being hugged by Pikachu's master as well; it shook its head helplessly.
Pikachu, on the other hand, was long used to such sights and continued nibbling on its bread.
Pidgeot was focused on the pile of pokéblocks in front of it, occasionally looking up before lowering its head to continue eating.
Primeape, however, ate for a while before suddenly looking up, glancing at Roy and then at the two women in his arms.
It tilted its head.
Its large eyes blinked repeatedly.
That look seemed to be asking: Do you have to hold them even while eating?
Roy understood its gaze and replied with a smile, "Jealous? If you're jealous, go find yourself a female Primeape."
Primeape froze for a moment.
Then it lowered its head and continued eating ravenously.
Find a female Primeape?
Forget it, eating is more important.
Over there, Misty understood Roy's words and gave him a light slap. "What are you saying? Don't be so improper in front of the Pokemon."
"How am I being improper?" Roy looked innocent. "I'm telling it to find a partner; isn't that looking out for its best interests?"
Misty rolled her eyes. "Just keep talking nonsense."
Delia smiled from the side. "I think it's quite good. Primeape really does need a companion."
Once it finished eating, Roy pulled out two Basic Rare Candies.
"Come, eat these."
Primeape looked at the two colorful candies, its nose twitching.
So fragrant.
It opened its mouth to take them, crunching and chewing them up.
Instantly, a surge of warm energy gushed out from within its body.
It felt its muscles becoming firmer, its strength increasing, and its overall state improving significantly.
[Primeape's level increased: LV28→LV30!]
Candy Balance:
[Basic Rare Candy: 1]
[intermediate rare candy: 8]
[high-grade rare candy: 3]
Roy glanced at the system panel and nodded with satisfaction. Successfully entering the Elite rank—perfect.
When it comes time to participate in the P1 Grand Prix, he'd have a better chance.
After finishing the Candy, Primeape let out a burp and then sat down on the ground.
In that state, it completely lost the ferocity it had when it first evolved, looking a bit... silly?
Misty looked at it and couldn't help but laugh. "Is this really a Primeape? Why does it look so goofy?"
Roy also found it amusing. "Maybe it gets sleepy once it's full."
Sure enough, after sitting for a while, Primeape's eyelids began to droop.
Finally, it just lay down on the ground and fell into a deep sleep.
Misty: "..."
Delia smiled gently. "Let it sleep. Evolving really does take a lot out of them."
Roy nodded, pulled a poké ball from his waist, and recalled Primeape.
Then he stood up and clapped his hands. "Alright, let's pack up and get ready to head out."
Delia and Misty responded, going to pack up the picnic mat they had spread out and the remaining food.
Roy, meanwhile, recalled all his other Pokemon as well.
A few minutes later.
The three of them finished packing and stood at the edge of the forest.
Ahead was a small path winding into the distance.
Misty stretched, revealing her slender waist. "Let's keep going, to Celadon City!"
...
Another day of travel.
Roy walked in front, with Pikachu perched on his shoulder, nibbling on a small piece of apple with great relish.
Behind him, Delia and Misty walked arm-in-arm, chatting and giggling the whole way.
Who knows what they were talking about, but the laughter never stopped.
As they walked, the view ahead suddenly opened up.
A city appeared on the horizon.
Tall buildings stood in clusters, colorful and vibrant; from a distance, one could see the many-colored signs and billboards in the city center.
Misty took a deep breath, her eyes instantly lighting up. "We're here, we're here! Celadon City!"
Delia also stopped, looking at the city's silhouette in the distance with a joyful smile on her face. "We've finally arrived."
Roy turned back and saw their excitement, unable to help but laugh. "Why are you two so worked up?"
"You don't understand!" Misty gave him a playful look. "Celadon City's perfume is famous throughout Kanto! What woman wouldn't want to own a bottle?"
As she spoke, she took another deep breath and closed her eyes in enchantment. "Just smell it; even the air is fragrant!"
Roy sniffed the air.
There was indeed a faint scent drifting over; it was hard to say which flower it was, but it smelled quite pleasant.
"Alright! Since you two like it so much," Roy smiled and waved his hand, "let's go to the Pokémon Center first to settle the Pokemon and let them recover their strength. Then we'll go shopping and let you buy to your heart's content."
"Really?"
Misty's eyes went wide.
Delia also looked at him with a face full of surprise.
"Of course it's true." Roy shrugged. "Since we're here, I can't very well spoil your fun, can I?"
"Hooray!"
Misty jumped up and grabbed Roy's arm. "Long live Roy!"
Delia also smiled and leaned in, hugging his other arm. "Roy is the best."
With one on each side, the soft sensation pressed directly against his arms.
"Alright, alright, stop using Charm and let's go."
The three of them walked toward Celadon City, talking and laughing.
Once they entered the city, the bustling scenes on both sides of the street greeted them.
Pedestrians coming and going, shops full of a dazzling array of goods, and Pokemon visible everywhere.
The most special thing was that the air here really did carry a faint fragrance.
It wasn't a pungent artificial scent, but a very natural, light floral fragrance.
Misty took deep breaths all along the way, acting as if she were addicted to catnip.
Delia couldn't help but take a few extra breaths as well, a pleasant smile on her face.
Soon, the three arrived at the Pokémon Center.
Pushing open the glass doors, a cool breeze from the air conditioning hit them.
Nurse Joy stood behind the counter; seeing the three enter, she offered a professional, sweet smile. "Welcome!"
"Hello." Roy walked over and took out his poké balls one by one. "Could you please help them recover?"
"Certainly, please wait a moment."
Nurse Joy took the poké balls and placed them into the machine behind her.
...
Leaving the Pokémon Center, Misty immediately grabbed Roy's hand. "Let's go, let's go! Perfume Street is that way!"
"You know the way?"
"I checked the guides before we came!" Misty waved her phone proudly. "I've done my homework!"
Delia also said with a smile, "Misty was searching for a long time last night, saying she wanted to buy the perfume that suits her best."
"Of course!" Misty tilted her head up. "With something like perfume, you have to try it in person to know if it's right."
"Those online recommendations are unreliable. Everyone's body scent is different, so the effect after spraying is different too."
Roy raised an eyebrow. "This is the first time I've seen you make a city guide. Usually, as soon as we get to a big city, you're just all about eating."
"Huh? I... I'm not that much of a glutton~" Misty said coquettishly, then continued leading the way.
The three followed the direction Misty pointed out.
After crossing two streets, the area ahead suddenly became lively.
A pedestrian street appeared before them.
Both sides of the street were lined with various perfume shops, with signs of all sizes hanging everywhere.
Some were luxuriously decorated, with salesgirls in uniforms standing at the door.
Others were small and exquisite, with display windows filled with perfume bottles of various shapes.
The air was filled with a rich fragrance; various floral scents mixed together, yet surprisingly, it didn't feel chaotic.
"Wow..."
Misty's eyes were fixed.
Delia was also stunned. Although she had visited perfume shops in Pallet Town before, compared to this, they were truly insignificant.
"Don't just stand there." Roy smiled and gave them both a gentle push on the back. "Go in and browse."
Only then did they snap out of it, and hand-in-hand, they rushed into the first shop.
Roy followed behind, watching them excitedly pick up bottle after bottle of perfume, opening the caps to sniff them, and then huddling together to chatter and discuss.
Those serious little expressions were just like they were choosing precious treasures.
"How about this one?"
"Hmm... the top note is a bit sharp, but the base note should be alright."
"What about this one?"
"This one is a bit sweet; it suits you, Sister Delia."
"Really? Let me smell..."
Roy leaned against the shop door, watching them study the perfumes.
Pikachu perched on his shoulder, its little nose twitching before it let out a sneeze.
Pika-chu!
"Hahaha, not used to the smell?" Roy smiled and rubbed its head.
Pikachu rubbed its nose, then gestured to ask if there was any tomato-scented one.
Roy chuckled and shook his head, leading Pikachu inside to follow them.
One shop.
Two shops.
Three shops.
The two were having a great time, spending a good while in every shop they entered.
Roy didn't rush them; he just followed slowly, occasionally offering an opinion.
"This one smells pretty good."
"This one suits you."
"This one... hmm, this one is a bit too strong."
Misty looked at him in surprise. "You actually understand this stuff?"
"I don't." Roy shook his head honestly. "I'm just speaking from intuition."
Misty rolled her eyes. "If you don't understand, don't talk nonsense. What if you mislead us?"
"Aren't they all for me to smell anyway? How could I be misleading?" Roy teased.
Misty chuckled. "In your dreams; it'd be more like letting you smell my panties or socks~"
Having spent more intimate time with Roy, Misty's playful talk had become quite shameless; after speaking, she ran toward the next shop.
After browsing a few more shops, neither of them had chosen one they liked.
Just then.
A surprised voice came from behind.
"Brother Roy?!"
Roy turned around.
A boy stood not far away, looking at them with a face full of surprise.
It was exactly that Joe he had met before in the Academic Faction.
"Joe?" Roy also smiled. "What a coincidence."
Joe ran over quickly, his face turning red with excitement. "Senior! It really is you! I thought I was seeing things!"
Misty and Delia also turned back.
"Oh, it's Joe." Misty greeted him with a smile. "Long time no see."
"Sister Misty! Sister Delia!" Joe bowed repeatedly. "Long time no see, long time no see!"
Roy looked at him and noticed the kid had changed quite a bit.
When they first met, he was still wearing the Academic Faction uniform, looking like a well-behaved student.
Now he was wearing outdoor gear, carrying a large backpack, and his skin had tanned quite a bit; he really did have a bit of that 'Training Faction' flavor now.
"You..." Roy looked him up and down. "Have you really stepped onto the path of the Training Faction?"
"Yes!" Joe nodded vigorously, his eyes shining. "It's all thanks to you, Senior! After hearing what you said that time, I went back and thought about it for a long while, and finally managed to convince my parents to let me come out to train!"
Misty asked curiously, "Convincing your parents? That couldn't have been easy, right?"
"It was not easy at all!" Joe said with a bitter face. "At first, my parents absolutely refused, saying the Training Faction was too dangerous and that it was safer in the academy."
"I argued with my dad several times, and finally, I promised him I'd report that I'm safe once a month and run if I encounter danger; only then did he reluctantly agree."
Delia smiled gently. "Well, your parents were just worried about you."
"I know." Joe scratched his head. "So I'm working extra hard now. I have to achieve some results to show them!"
Roy nodded. "You have ambition. So how is it going? Is your training going smoothly?"
At this question, the smile on Joe's face stiffened.
"Uh... to be honest, not very smoothly."
Misty raised an eyebrow. "In what way is it not going smoothly?"
Joe sighed, looking dejected. "After I convinced my parents, I wanted to try challenging the Celadon Gym, but... I failed right away."
"Celadon Gym?" Misty blinked. "The one here?"
"Yes." Joe nodded. "My home is in Celadon City, so I thought I'd try challenging the local Gym first to test the waters, but..."
He didn't go on, but his expression already said everything.
Misty suddenly perked up.
She crossed her arms, putting on the air of a senior. "Let me think, I remember you only had a Pidgeot and a Weepinbell, right?"
Joe nodded.
"We met at the Academic Faction last time." Misty said as if it were obvious. "I remember those two Pokemon of yours very clearly."
She continued, "And before, you only went through data training in the academy; you've hardly had any real combat. The Celadon Gym is an intermediate Gym, and they specialize in grass-types. Your grass-type..."
She glanced at Joe, her tone carrying a bit of teasing. "I'm not bragging, but your Weepinbell couldn't even beat my Water-types. Facing an intermediate grass-type Gym, isn't that roughly equivalent to having no combat power?"
Joe's face stiffened.
"You essentially tried to take on an intermediate Gym with just a Pidgeot; how could you possibly win?"
Joe lowered his head, his face turning red.
Roy watched from the side, thinking that this girl still spoke so bluntly.
But she was right.
The gap between data training and real combat training wasn't just a little bit.
There were plenty of Trainers from the Academic Faction who failed their first Gym challenge.
It wasn't shameful for Joe.
It was just that being criticized like this by Misty made him lose a bit of face.
Seeing that Misty was about to continue, Roy quickly nudged her arm and whispered a reminder, "Teacher Misty, don't just criticize; what about some guidance?"
"Oh!"
Misty then realized.
She was used to bickering with her three sisters at home, so she'd automatically go into 'roasting mode' as soon as she opened her mouth; she almost forgot she was supposed to be guiding a junior now.
She cleared her throat and adopted a gentler expression. "Um, Joe, don't be discouraged. It's normal to feel lost in the early stages of the Training Faction."
Joe looked up at her expectantly.
"You can start by fighting more in the wild to accumulate combat experience. Then, diversify your training lineup—having only Pidgeot and Weepinbell isn't enough; you should at least have three, right?"
Misty counted on her fingers. "Then try challenging a basic Gym first to build up your confidence. Once you have a certain level of strength, then come back to challenge an intermediate Gym."
"Understood!" Joe nodded vigorously, his complexion looking much better. "Thank you for the guidance, Sister Misty!"
Misty waved her hand with an expression that said 'it's nothing'. "Don't mention it; we're all on the same side."
After thanking Misty, Joe looked at Roy again, his eyes full of admiration. "Brother Roy, since you're in Celadon City, will you be challenging the Celadon Gym?"