Chapter 9 - Prepare for Trouble!

"Let's see," Noah flipped open the Trainer's Handbook, a brightly colored manual handed out to new trainers at the entrance of the Pokemon Center.

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The book was bursting with vibrant illustrations of Pokemon and filled with various tips and advice on how to excel as a trainer; though, they kept the useful information minimal.

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"Isn't this just propaganda?" Noah mumbled skeptically as he rifled through the pages, which had the cheerful tone of a children's picture book.

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Riolu, intrigued, tiptoed and craned his neck to peer over Noah's shoulder, hoping to catch a glimpse of the book's contents.

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Leafing through the majority of the book, Noah finally stumbled upon a section titled "The Pokemon Association."

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"The Pokemon Association: The Indispensable Pillar of the Pokemon World, established in 1853 and…"

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Dismissing what he considered fluff and rhetoric, Noah located the piece of information that had piqued his interest.

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"Finally! Trainers who join the Pokemon Association get a whopping 70% discount on all their Pokemon Center visits!"

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Noah's eyes darted to the bottom of the page where fine print lurked ominously: "Membership is non-revocable; refer to page 102 for full terms and conditions."

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Flipping diligently to the aforementioned page, he began to parse through the legalese.

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"Knew there had to be a catch," Noah whispered to himself. Membership was a lifetime commitment, and if you dared discard your ID, you'd be hunted down.

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And as if that wasn't invasive enough, the ID also contained a tracking chip that constantly broadcasted your location back to the Association.

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Plus, the one-time registration fee was an exorbitant 10,000 Pokedollars. To add insult to injury, the 70% discount only applied to Pokemon healing, which wasn't even all that costly to begin with.

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"Trade my freedom for these so-called 'perks'? Hard pass," Noah muttered. Turning to Riolu, he announced, "Alright, buddy, time to hit the road!"

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Responding with a spirited "Ruff!", the pair exited the Pokemon Center, their decision made.

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They found themselves standing in front of a towering shopping complex adorned with a massive Pokeball logo and a striking blue-and-white color scheme—the grand PokeMall.

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It stood out conspicuously, dwarfing the surrounding architecture.

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As they approached, the automatic glass doors glided open, hitting them with a refreshing blast of air-conditioning.

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"Now, where is that Pokeball section…" Noah pondered aloud, scanning the labyrinthine directory.

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Navigating the mall was like solving a complex puzzle; each twist and turn seemed to only further disorient you.

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As Noah traversed the maze-like structure of the mall, he eyed the many products on the walls.

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As he weaved his way through the maze, Noah caught sight of various shelves lined with an array of products, though surprisingly few were directly related to Pokemon.

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However, he did spot an assortment of Pokemon food brands.

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"'Your canine Pokemon will love this mouth-watering blend of fresh berries, MooMoo Milk, and prime cuts of meat!'" Noah recited, before smirking at Riolu. "Sound like your kinda meal, huh?"

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Riolu fervently shook his head, which sent Noah into a fit of laughter.

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Finally locating the Pokéball aisle, Noah was greeted by a variety of options:from Pokeballs to Ultra balls and even Quick balls.

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"Okay, 6,800 Pokédollars left," he muttered, pulling out 6 green and 4 yellow bills from his pockets.

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The prices of the balls were as followed:

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Pokeball - 200

Great Ball- 600

Ultra Ball - 3000

Quick Ball - 2000

Dusk Ball - 2000

Heavy Ball - 1000

Lure Ball - 1000

Dive Ball - 1000

Net Ball - 1000

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He noticed that most specialty balls, those designed to work better under certain conditions, were priced at 1,000 Pokedollars, with the exception of Dusk, Heavy Balls and Quick balls.

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"There don't seem to be any Luxury Balls?" Noah thought out loud, "Eh, they're probably sold at luxury stores."

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Selecting 10 Pokeballs, 2 Great Balls, and a single Ultra Ball, he began the arduous journey back to the checkout counters—no small feat given how eerily similar all the aisles looked.

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Finally queuing up, Noah waited his turn before carefully placing his assortment of Pokeballs on the conveyor belt.

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"Nice Pokemon you've got there," the clerk absentmindedly commented, giving Riolu a cursory glance.

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"Thanks," Noah replied, his face lighting up with a warm, appreciative smile.

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"That'll be 6,2k Pokedollars, sir," the clerk informed him. "By the way, we have a promotion this week: spend over 5,000 Pokedollars and receive a complimentary trainer survival kit."

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The clerk revealed a bizarre belt adorned with metallic chains designed to latch onto Pokeballs.

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"These will auto-attach to your Pokeballs, and they can only be detached by you," the clerk explained, showing a small storage bag that seemingly defied the laws of physics with its 1 cubic meter of storage space.

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Noah's eyes gleamed, such a useful item, and yet it only cost him 5000 Pokedollars to receive it for free? What a steal.

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After finalizing the transaction, Noah eagerly fastened the belt around his waist, marveling at how it adjusted to fit him perfectly.

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Without hesitation, Noah took the belt and clasped it around his waist. Surprisingly, it fit perfectly.

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"Auto-sizing tech," the clerk mentioned, as if reading Noah's mind.

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With that, Noah exited the PokeMall, silently awed by the marvels of Poke-technology.

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It easily entered the space, and the weight of the belt barely increased "Space tech in Pokemon is really to far advanced." Noah muttered, as he marveled at the usages of the belt.

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Making a brief pitstop at the Pokémon Center, he covertly stashed a few(14) bottles of water and some snacks into his new dimensional bag.

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Feeling a gaze bore down at him, he jolted up, before awkwardly exiting the building in a rigid motion, Riolu copying his moves behind him.

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But just as he was about to leave, alarms blared.

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"Attention citizens, Viridian City's radar has detected an unauthorized aircraft belonging to a known criminal organization. Please proceed to the Pokémon Center's bunker for your safety—"

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Before the announcement could finish, a deafening explosion rocked the Pokemon Center.

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"What the—?" Noah's eyes widened as he spotted a Meowth-shaped hot air balloon in the sky, manned by a duo with pink and blue hair.

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Yes, it was them—the notorious Team Rocket Trio.