Encounter at the Perfume Shop

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and there was still no word from Windy, who had gone to Kanto. No calls, no messages—Yuga couldn't help but feel a little worried.

Just then, the League called to say that Professor Oak and his team had made some progress in their research on the boulder fragments and wanted to invite representatives from the various League branches to check it out, with the event to be held in Kanto.

Curious about what they'd discovered from the boulder fragments and wanting to check on Windy's situation, Yuga volunteered to represent Hoenn for this visit.

Since it was rare for Yuga to actively request a task, the Hoenn League had no reason to refuse, and so Yuga boarded a plane bound for Kanto.

The research showcase on the boulder fragments was set to be held at Professor Oak's lab in Pallet Town, but since Pallet Town doesn't have an airport, Yuga first landed in Celadon City.

Since there were still two days before the event, Yuga wasn't in a hurry to get to Pallet Town and decided to stay in Celadon City for now.

Pallet Town is quite unique; unlike other small towns, it rarely sees outsiders aside from the local residents. There aren't any inns, restaurants, or hotels there, so arriving early would mean nowhere to stay. Better to wait in a nearby city.

Celadon City is one of the largest cities in Kanto, second only to the bustling metropolis of Saffron City. This wasn't Yuga's first time here, and he still had a strong impression of the place.

After leaving the airport, Yuga headed straight for the direction of the Pokémon Center. Passing by a perfume shop, he noticed they were having a promotion and couldn't help but take a second look.

That second glance was enough to get him pulled into the shop by several enthusiastic female sales clerks who suddenly appeared from inside.

"Dear customer, come take a look! Our perfumes suit all kinds of people. Whether you're buying it for yourself or as a gift for a girlfriend, it's perfect!" one of the sales clerks said enthusiastically, introducing Yuga to various perfumes.

Yuga was a little startled by the sudden crowd of pretty clerks around him. He almost thought he'd wandered into some dubious establishment selling questionable goods!

A girlfriend? Like he'd have one!

Sometimes, Yuga would wonder about the fact that his lifespan was clearly longer than most people's. If he lived to be as old as his master, while his partner could only live to about sixty or seventy, wouldn't that mean only half his lifespan?

Different lifespans, different aging rates—was it even right for him to seek a partner? Imagine if he still looked like a young man while his partner had aged into an old woman. Just thinking about it was terrifying! No wonder his master had remained alone all these years; living a long life came with its own set of troubles!

But shock aside, Yuga still seriously considered the perfumes the sales clerks recommended.

Celadon's perfumes are quite famous. Even though Yuga doesn't use much himself, he'd still heard of their reputation.

If the perfume here was really good, he could buy some as gifts. His Aunt, Misaki, Lain, Suzuki Koen... they all used perfume. With so many women at home, it was bound to be well received.

Everyone's busy with work, so buying a few gifts for them could also serve as a form of employee welfare.

According to the sales clerks, their perfumes are made from all-natural ingredients, with some even having special effects like aiding sleep or calming the mind.

"Look at this, dear customer; this is a classic men's fragrance, very popular in our shop. It's worth every penny and can even be a collector's item!" the sales clerk continued, enthusiastically introducing the perfume to Yuga.

Yuga glanced at the price tag—wow, 30,000 for a small bottle! Was there gold mixed into it?

He sniffed it and found it indeed fresh and pleasant. You get what you pay for; while he didn't know much about perfume, he had basic judgment skills. It was indeed quality stuff.

"Do you have a women's version of this?" Yuga asked.

"Yes, we do! Just a moment, please!" The clerk, beaming, took a similar bottle from behind the display case.

Yuga tried the women's version and was equally satisfied, so he said to the clerk, "I'll take one bottle of each fragrance for both of these."

"Of course, sir! I'll get them for you right away!"

The sales clerk's smile practically sparkled. It had been a while since they'd seen such a generous customer. Each of the two types of perfume had ten different scents—Yuga's order amounted to 600,000 in total. What a high roller!

Yuga didn't mind spending so much money all at once. Though he'd bought gifts for everyone on previous trips, those were usually small expenses; it wasn't often he'd splurge like this.

"Is that...?"

As Yuga waited for the clerk to wrap up the perfumes, he suddenly heard a voice from the side. Turning his head instinctively, he saw a woman dressed in a green kimono looking at him.

"It really is you, Shimizu Yuga... no, Gym Leader Shimizu," the woman said, smiling with delight as she looked at him.

"Ms. Erika?" Yuga said in surprise. Naturally, he recognized the Gym Leader of Celadon City. When he entered the store, there was even a standee of Erika by the door.

"Yes, it's me! I didn't expect to run into Gym Leader Shimizu here," Erika said excitedly. "Are you here to buy perfume?"

As a fellow Grass-type Gym Leader, Erika had long admired the renowned Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town.

Yuga nodded, saying, "That's right. Are you here to buy some too, Ms. Erika?"

Erika chuckled and replied, "This perfume shop is actually mine! I came by today to check on things, and I didn't expect to meet you here."

It dawned on Yuga then—he had assumed that Erika's standee was just a promotional gimmick by the store. After all, Erika was a famous perfume expert; he hadn't expected her to be the owner herself.

"Sir, here's your perfume, all packed up!" The sales clerk returned with an elegantly packaged bag. Upon seeing Erika, she exclaimed, "Gym Leader, you're here!"

The sales clerk wasn't just an employee of the perfume shop but also a trainee at the Celadon Gym.

Erika nodded at her Gym apprentice and glanced at the perfumes Yuga had bought, her expression thoughtful.

"Where should I pay?" Yuga asked, picking up the bag from the counter.

The sales clerk was about to answer when Erika suddenly interjected, "Gym Leader Shimizu, there's no need to pay. Consider these perfumes a gift from me. However, I'd like to have a friendly match with you."

Hearing her own Gym Leader address him as "Gym Leader," the sales clerk was momentarily stunned, but she wisely remained silent.

Yuga thought for a moment and replied, "A friendly match is fine, but there's no need for a gift." It wasn't as though he couldn't afford the perfumes, and he didn't see a need to take advantage. If Erika had offered him a Pokémon, he might not have declined.

Since Yuga was insistent on paying, Erika didn't press the matter.

After paying, Yuga turned to Erika and asked, "Where shall we have our match?"

"Follow me, Gym Leader Shimizu," Erika said, leading Yuga toward the back of the perfume shop.

Before leaving, Yuga left his perfumes at the shop, planning to collect them after the match.

It wasn't until he reached the back of the store that he realized this was actually the Celadon Gym.

To make it easier to manage her perfume business, Erika had set up the Celadon Gym right behind the shop. All of the shop employees were also Gym staff.

Standing across from Erika on the battle grounds of the Celadon Gym, Yuga readied himself.

"The match will be a two-on-two double battle. The side that loses both Pokémon first will be declared the loser," the referee announced loudly. "Now, both sides, please send out your Pokémon!"

At the referee's call, Yuga and Erika released their Pokémon simultaneously: Yuga sent out Serperior and Sawsbuck, while Erika sent out Venusaur and Vileplume.

Just like Serperior and Sawsbuck, Venusaur and Vileplume were also Elite-level Pokémon.

Despite Erika's gentle and graceful demeanor, she is actually a renowned Elite Trainer, ranked 88th in the League Headquarters' Elite standings. Her reputation in the Kanto region is well established.

Although she only recently made it onto the rankings, reaching 88th place so quickly is quite an achievement.

Erika's fame isn't solely due to her status as a perfume master and Celadon City's Gym Leader, but also her exceptional strength at such a young age.

Erika is a bit older than Yuga, about the same age as Steven and Wallace. While her innate talent as a Trainer may not be on par with top-tier prodigies like Steven or Cynthia, she's certainly on the same level as Robert.

Erika's mentor, the former Gym Leader of the Celadon Gym, was also the previous Grass-type Elite Four of the Kanto League. Though she passed away many years ago, her legacy holds great respect in the region.

"Begin the match!"

With the referee's call, both sides' Pokémon launched their attacks simultaneously.

After the battle started, Erika's demeanor changed; her aura sharpened intensely, as if she had transformed into a battle-hardened warrior. Yuga had never encountered such a fierce and battle-ready Grass-type Trainer.

Venusaur's thick vines and Vileplume's Sludge Bomb attacked Sawsbuck and Serperior respectively.

Since Sawsbuck frequently sparred with Yuga's own Venusaur, it knew exactly how to handle the situation.

Leaping into the air with impressive agility, Sawsbuck soared high and kicked away Venusaur's vine with a Jump Kick, landing precisely in front of it.

Meanwhile, Serperior used its Leaf Storm to disperse Vileplume's Sludge Bomb. Seeing that Sawsbuck's Megahorn was about to strike Venusaur, Vileplume dashed forward to block it.

Erika's Vileplume had the hidden ability Effect Spore. The moment Sawsbuck touched Vileplume, it fell asleep under the influence of Spore.

Vileplume let out a painful cry as it was knocked back, but Venusaur quickly extended two vines—one to catch the flying Vileplume, and the other to grab Sawsbuck by the leg, swinging it hard towards Serperior.

Serperior, also proficient with Vine Whip, caught Sawsbuck, spun it around in midair to reduce the impact, and gently set the sleeping Sawsbuck down beside it.

Venusaur and the injured Vileplume were about to press their advantage when Serperior unleashed Glare, freezing them in their tracks. Once they snapped out of their shock, both Venusaur and Vileplume realized they had been paralyzed.

With Erika's side now at a disadvantage due to the paralysis, Serperior and the recovered Sawsbuck immediately launched an offensive against the immobilized Venusaur and Vileplume. Serperior used its signature move, Leaf Storm, while Sawsbuck attacked with Seed Bomb.

Sawsbuck, wary of Vileplume's Effect Spore ability, avoided close combat this time.

A whirlwind of green leaves roared toward Venusaur and Vileplume, and Erika quickly shouted, "Venusaur, Vileplume, use Protect!"

Though Erika's command carried an element of risk, it paid off. Vileplume failed to activate Protect, but Venusaur succeeded just in time.

Unfortunately, while Protect blocked Serperior's Leaf Storm, it couldn't withstand the Seed Bomb that followed closely behind. Vileplume bore the brunt of the attack and was immediately knocked out of the battle.

Vileplume had already taken a Megahorn attack from Sawsbuck earlier, and now with a Seed Bomb, it couldn't hold on any longer.

However, just before it fell, Vileplume managed to cast Sunny Day, causing the weather to become intensely hot.

Under sunny conditions, Venusaur could use Solar Beam without charging. A golden beam shot directly towards Sawsbuck and Serperior under Venusaur's control.

It must be said that Erika's Venusaur was quite lucky, managing to use moves successfully even in its paralyzed state.

By this point, Serperior had already amplified its Special Attack significantly with two rounds of Leaf Storm and its Contrary ability, raising its power dramatically. When Serperior's Leaf Storm clashed with Venusaur's Solar Beam, it quickly overpowered the Solar Beam.

Meanwhile, Sawsbuck had somehow slipped behind Venusaur.

Vileplume's Sunny Day didn't just benefit Venusaur—it also worked in Sawsbuck's favor. Sawsbuck's ability, Chlorophyll, doubled its speed in sunny weather.

Erika tried to warn Venusaur to be cautious, but before it could react, Sawsbuck's Megahorn landed squarely on its rear, causing Venusaur to howl in pain.

Being sturdier than Vileplume, Venusaur could endure the Megahorn without losing its ability to fight.

It seemed that Sawsbuck's horn had hit a particularly sensitive spot, because Venusaur, overwhelmed by pain, began flailing its vines wildly. Sawsbuck, the closest target, was sent flying from the strike.

Judging by Venusaur's reaction, it must have been truly excruciating!

Just as Sawsbuck was knocked away, Serperior's Dragon Pulse came charging in. This time, it refrained from using Leaf Storm, knowing that Grass-type moves are resisted by Grass-type Pokémon.

Boom!

The enraged Venusaur was struck, its head tilted to the side, and it lost consciousness.

"Gym Leader Shimizu, you're truly impressive! I still have so much to learn!"

Despite her loss, Erika wasn't disheartened at all. Instead, she eagerly pulled Yuga aside to discuss Grass-type Pokémon training techniques.

Yuga was equally interested in Erika's expertise, and the two exchanged insights for a long time, both gaining valuable knowledge.

As the disciple of the former Grass-type Elite Four, Erika had much to teach Yuga, allowing him to verify and expand upon the knowledge passed down from his own mentor.

Seeing it was getting late, Yuga said his farewells. Just before he left, Erika said, "I heard from the League that your Verdanturf Town will be hosting a grand event for Grass-type Trainers. I'll definitely be there!"