74 Kanto - Celadon City

Walking inside the game centre was an experience on it's own, they had to present their ID, had to fill in a form, were not allowed large Pokemon inside and had to sign an agreement that said, they would not start a fight inside. It made Ash wonder what happened happened here the last few years for them to take out paperwork agreement that required people to sign before entering. The Game centre was built as a large hexagonal building with seven different floors, the top floor being security and where you went to collect your prizes. They decided to look around by themselves and meet up in the evening for a snack at the restaurant across the street opposite of the Game centre.

Ash looked around the third floor, "Lucario, Pikachu, Phantump, where do we even start?"

Lucario, -There is a lot of people and lots of stuff to try, Meema.-

Pikachu looked around from his perch on his shoulder, "Chuuuu, pika."

Phantump looked around before trying to dig himself deeper into Ash's arms, he was still not used to going to strange places filled with strangers. Ash held him and rubbed his back calming him down before looking around again, there were game booths, poker booths, lucky draws, etc, it was a bit hard to decide which to try first. Ash decided to buy one lucky draw ticket and observe some of the older trainers play and place bets on the wheel cards on the next table. The host smiled as he invited Ash to place a bet and asked if he wanted to bet for money or equipment.

Ash, "What equipments are available?"

Host, "Ah! A trainer, well equipments range from training equipments to latest cameras to camping gear to bicycle gear to latest capsules and pokeballs. Which one you get or not get at all is up to your luck."

Ash nodded and after thinking a bit placed his bet as well as the money on the green plaque card. The wheel turned and the ball rolled moving from the black plaques to the reds then the green then whites to red again before coming to a rest on one of the four green plaques among the thirty four coloured plaques. Ash let out the breath he had been holding as the plaque lit up signaling he had won and the people around him whispered while the host smiled.

Host, "Congratulations, let's see what you have won."

Ash turned to Lucario, "It's not a bad start."

Lucario tilted his head, -Perhaps.-

Phantump, "Phaaa!"

Host, "And you won the latest digital camera, it is the DoOS E8, touchscreen with 20.1 MP Effective pixels and can use face identification as a security. The dimensions are W x H x D: (138 x 97.5 x 88.4)mm, and it weighs 680 grams. The viewfinder magnification is approx 0.76x, viewfinder eye point is 23mm. It has a built in memory card as well as two extras just in case. You can also use USB cable to transfer photos from camera to your laptop or any other device."

Ash's eyes widened, "Isn't that one of the costlier ones? It costs around I think 24,590 pokedollars."

The host grinned, "I see, you know your items very well."

Ash, "Of course I do, it's a must."

The host gave him a receipt and a card, "Go to the top floor once you are done and show the card and the receipt to one of the counters, they will give you your prize."

Ash nodded, "Thank you sir."

Host, "Thank you for coming, so who else wants to place a bet."

Ash left as the people surrounding the table started to place their own bets and money to win a prize or two. For a moment Ash felt tempted to go back to the table and try his luck again but one look at the crowd had him changing his mind. Pikachu sniffed the card as he put it inside his pocket and looked at him and he smiled at the electric Pokemon rubbing his chin getting a content sigh from him.

Lucario pointed at one of the slot machines, -Its like in the movies.-

Ash nodded, "Yeah, hey that guy looks familiar."

Lucario, -Isn't that the trainer who battled Gary on the ship? He challenged you today morning right?-

Ash nodded, "Let's go check what he's playing."

Ash and Lucario walked to the slot machines and stopped a little further away from the purple haired trainer who noticed them but didn't take his eyes off the machine. He was waiting to get a match and was about to pull when Lucario gave a hiss making both trainers look at him. The aura Pokemon simply shook his head before motioning the purple haired trainer to get ready to pull. A few minutes later he pulled and got a match making the machine beep in congratulations.

Paul, "Thanks."

Ash, "Thank Lucario, he's the one who guided you."

Paul smirked, "I was."

Ash grinned, "Look at him while thanking him then."

Paul looked away, "What are you doing here?"

Ash, "Same thing you are, trying to get a few stuff. I got a camera so far, one of the DoOS model. What about you?"

Paul, "One of the better quality ones, not bad. I was trying to get money, which I did now to send home."

Ash looked concerned, "Is everything okay?"

Paul shrugged, "As okay as it'll be after a snow in I guess. I can't go back right now but I can send in some money to help out the cleaning bills a bit."

Ash spoke quietly, "You must be worried though, I know I would be."

Paul smirked, "A bit yes I am, but I trust Reg to be able to take care of himself and the Pokemon. They are not pushovers, they can handle a little cold."

Lucario nudged Ash's hand, -Try that one Meema.-

Ash, "Hmm, ah the crane game, let me get a few coins."

Paul watched as Ash bought some coins to play the game from the booth, he was not interested in the game itself but was definitely curious about the fighting steel type. The aura Pokemon was not exactly common and at the same time not rare either but they were truly hard to find and catch. Paul would know he tried searching for one in the wild, how Ash found one was something he was interested in knowing. He had seen how strong the Pokemon was on television and he would be lying if he said he didn't want one of his own.

Ash, "Alright I got some, do you want to try?"

Paul, "I'll pass."

Ash, "Come on it'll be fun, plus who knows your luck might be better than mine."

Pikachu gestured at the machine, "Pi pikachu."

Paul sighed, "How many coins did you get?"

Ash grinned holding up the coins in one hand while his other held Phantump, "Got twenty, we could do it ten and ten."

Paul, "Fine, I'll start."

Paul took ten coins and started to move the grabber and try to get one of the balls that held a gift inside. He used up five coins before getting a ball on the sixth one, he opened it out of curiosity and got a few more coins instead. Ash laughed saying the game wanted Paul to play, getting a 'really' look from the purple haired teen. He moved over and motioned for Ash to give it a shot and Ash played using seven coins before he got a ball on the eight try.

Ash opened the ball, "A sooth bell, cool. Do you want to go again?"

Paul, "Sure."

The second time Paul played he almost used up all the coins but with the last coin he won a rare dragon scale. He moved aside allowing Ash to play a second time and this time he won a friendship bell, which made him blink and shrug before he pocketed it. Ash half wondered if the others were having fun like he was and were able to get the stuff they wanted. He had noticed Brock heading towards the third floor where the breeders items were mostly available as rewards, he felt like a game MC.

Ash, "This turned out to be more profitable than I thought."

Paul, "You know I'm actually quite surprised to see you here."

Ash blinked, "Why's that?"

Paul, "There are no contest here, the last one was a few weeks ago. I kind of expected you to go to Cinnabar Island instead."

Ash smiled, "There may not be a contest but there is a gym."

Paul looked at Ash, "Ah! You are like Wallace and Nando, aren't you?"

Ash gave a sheepish laugh, "Not exactly no I'm not."

Paul raised his eyebrow, "But you are doing both the gym circuit and the contest line."

Ash looked away, "Shit happened on my first day as a trainer, it's the reason why doing both actually. Not because I want to be like them."

Paul, "Like what?"

Ash, "Team Rocket level shit. It was just my first day too. I hated it feeling helpless so I decided I'll do both."

Paul paused a bit before he continued, "Ah! I can understand that."

Ash nodded, "Yeah! Luckily Lucario and my Pokemon were safe and unhurt."

Paul, "How did you find him?"

Ash, "Found who?"

Paul, "Your Lucario, he is very powerful."

Ash laughed, "Funny story that one. I was just a kid back then, just starting summer camp when I found Lucario as an egg."

Paul frowned, he may have a habit of releasing his Pokemon if they did not match or fit his criteria but he would never leave a poke egg alone, "Abandoned?"

Ash shrugged hugging Phantump close, "We suspect it, yes, but no proof or clue on who it was. You know we found Lucario and Haxorus as eggs on the same day."

Paul's eyes widened, "Gary's Haxorus too?"

Ash, "Yeah, it was a shocker but as they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure. I would not change it."

Paul sneered at the stupidity of people, he would be lying if he said he didn't have a soft spot for baby Pokemon, "Those people were a fool to leave their poke eggs behind. Why do they even breed their Pokemon if they can't handle it?"

Ash laughed, "No kidding!"

Paul was surprisingly pleasant to talk to but Ash guessed it was because he had seen him battle before. He would have never guessed Paul had a soft spot for poke eggs or baby Pokemon though, he supposed having an older brother who is one of the best breeders would do that. Ash thought it was quiet nice to see a different side of Paul from what he remembered in the anime. In the anime Paul started to relax and be nicer to Ash only after he had defeated him, he was a little curious about this change. Or maybe it was because Paul was older here than his anime counterpart, people do tend to mallow out with age after all.

Ash shook his head, 'So many maybes.'

Paul, "I need to go, I have a gym battle in two hours."

Ash, "Good luck on your battle, mine is day after tomorrow."

Paul, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Ash, "Bye Paul."

Lucario, -He is not a bad person. I like him, although he doesn't engage in talks unless you start first.-

Pikachu cooed, "Pika chaaa!"

Phantump yawned snuggling into Ash, "Paaa!"

Ash rubbed Phantump's back, "You like him? That's a first."

Lucario shrugged, -He feels like power and he's not pushy, curious yes, but not pushy.-

Ash, "Come on let's go check the other games out before we go to the counter upstairs and get our new camera, we can gift it Gou if he has not gotten one yet."

Ash played some more games and placed a few more bets and in the process won a new portable poke egg carrier which made him grin, a small locket with mystic water, a new tent and a few TMs. It was a good haul Ash decided walking out of the game centre with his new items, where he met Ritchie who was now holding a brand new capsule. Gou and Horace had both won two bicycles the latest models from what Ash could see. Ash gifted the camera he had won today Gou getting a gasp from the dark haired boy who recognized the camera.

Gou tried to return it to Ash but Ash just shrugged and said he had not planned on winning the camera and it just happened. Misty came out a while later holding her new foldable rod and water lure which she had won followed by Brock who was now a proud owner of a platinum breeder's kit. Jameson and Jessilina walked out talking to a few people that had them curious but they didn't interfere and the two older man and woman soon joined them after saying farewell to their acquaintances before going to get dinner. Ash wanted to ask who those people were but bit back his curiosity for now, they looked like business partners as far as he could tell and hoped that's all they were.

[A. N.: Ahem! I honestly don't have a clue what a game centre that was previously a gambling/poachers den would be like in Pokemon world after getting reformed.

I'm just writing what I imagine it'll be like. lol]