In Her Image: a Pokémon RP

[Anayna]

Rupert walked through the lobby to the dining hall. Both areas were slowly filling up with his fellow Sleeping Sunkern patrons. He felt awkward among them, not knowing quite what his relationship to them was. They had all decided to help Looker with his investigation; they were essentially a team. And yet he barely knew these people. Rupert muttered a few faint "good morning"s as he passed Remy, Lee and Darius. He made his way to the breakfast table, but not before seeing Caleb and Matt at a table.

Boy, those two look awfully serious. Did something happen? They're both fighting in the tournament today, right?

Rupert's musings didn't get too far as he soon spotted bespectacled Tom waving him over to a table. He couldn't see Ryan. Grateful for Tom's sociable nature, Rupert gingerly sat down with his tray of food. The two didn't get very far in the ensuing, predictably one-sided, conversation though as Remy bellowed out:

"ALRIGHT THEN! Mornin' to ya all! I was thinking of doing some shopping today and I know of some great places one can go to for real bargains on some really cool stuff. Those interested can come with me, those with other plans, have a good time and remember that the tournament resumes at 6:00 p.m.!"

As some got to their feet Tom seemed to be mulling something over.

"Hm... Hey Rupert, how about we shop for just a little bit? I only need a TM or two, so it should be quick. Then we can go out to search for pokemon! We have a lot of time before the tournament starts up again."

"Huh? Um... s-sure. I mean, we're in no r-rush. A-and I guess I should get... stuff too."

Rupert couldn't really think of anything he was in want of at the moment, but he really didn't mind the detour. Honestly, he kind of needed some time to get used to the idea of possibly catching a new member to the team. If it didn't come to that then Tom, Ryan and Rupert's excursion would at least be a opportunity for training, something else that Rupert hadn't done in ages. That's what trainers did, right? Train?

Tom then asked the question that Rupert had also been wondering: where was Ryan? Rupert had no idea. Was he still not up? Wait, Ryan grew up on a farm; did he maybe get up hours ago and had already left? Maybe they should check his room.

 

[JdaS]

With Remy's loud announcement, which some other tenants took offense to at 8:45 in the morning, just about everyone had convened at the lobby. All but Ryan, who was either still sleeping or already up and about somewhere, and Daria, who was doing some shopping of her own already.

"So it's Matt, Caleb, Darius, Savannah, Lee, Tom and Rupert the, eh? Very well then. We'll start at the world famous Goldenrod Dept. Store, then we'll take a look at the market. It's a huge place with people from all over the country selling and buying just about anything you can imagine. Then there's the Underground Tunnel and a variety of smaller shops and restaurants."

And with that small infomercial, they were off. The Dept. Store was situated in the city centre, a few blocks from the Sleeping Sunkern. As the group made their way there, they'd have some time to talk.

Remy moved to check on Matt, who'd been in low spirits since last nights.

"Hey kid, ya feelin' any bet-- WHOA!!"

As Remy began to talk to the boy, he noticed Matt's face, which by now was looking quite red and swollen.

"What's with the face, kid? You eat something you shouldn't have?"
______________________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, at the Dept. Store, Daria had just entered and was greeted cheerfully by one of the floor attendants.

"Good morning, miss. What can I do for you today?"

The Department Stores were known for their amazing service. Every customer was treated withthe utmost respect and professionalism. It was this formula that strived for the perfect shopping experience that had kept the company going strong in all 4 regions for more than 60 years.

 

[CJ1145]

"Good morning, miss. What can I do for you today?"

Daria stopped in her tracks as she entered the Department Store, face to face with this strange greeter. Her face faulted as her mind panicked, seeking out some kind of basic interaction to mime through.

"Er, mm, nothing right now!" Daria blurted out, sheepishly grinning and scratching the back of her head. "Just browsing, thanks!"

With that situation averted, she sidestepped past the bewildered attendant and kept marching through the store. Aisles and aisles of products popped out, all sorts of foods and amenities for humans and Pokemon alike. Her eyes lazily scanned the signs above each aisle, looking for anything that sparked her interests.

Good on potions... don't really need any Pokeballs right now... ooh!

She stopped herself in front of an aisle apparently dedicated to crafts and tools. Her mind began racing as the beginnings of an idea raced in her mind. My guys actually managed to hurt me last night... that almost never happens. Maybe it's time I stepped up my game a bit.

She dashed down the aisle, Gemini lagging behind to examine all the wonderful new toys she was encountering. Saws, hammers, boxes of nails, they all entranced the little Staryu as it picked a few up, examining their functions. Daria, meanwhile, stopped at a whittling knife. She took it off the shelf it was located on, examining it closely inside its box. She smiled, seeing it fit the plans still taking shape in her mind, when an attendant leaned in from the end of the aisle to look at her.

"Finding everything OK, miss?"

The trainer's head perked up, looking over at the man with a hopeful grin. "Actually," she asked. "I was wondering if ya knew where I could find some ironwood!"

 

[Evrant-Knight]

As the group which consisted Matt, Caleb, Darius, Savannah, Lee, Tom, Remy and Rupert made their way towards the Goldenrod Department store, Remy began striking up a conversation with Matt, who seemed to look a little red.

"Hey kid, ya feelin' any bet-- WHOA!!" Remy said with astonishment in his voice, as Matt's face now looked rather red, and quite swollen for that matter. Caleb on the other hand, merely sighed, closing his eyes briefly to think things over. He then opened his eyes, and looked at Matt.

"Oranges. Your allergic to oranges aren't you? Look, I'm sorry for giving you that drink earlier, I simply didn't know, or maybe, I was never told. You really should speak up in future, that way, unpleasant instances like this won't occur." Caleb remarked in a somewhat stern voice, but with a hint of sadness as well.

 

[Pappytech]

"Oranges. Your allergic to oranges aren't you? Look, I'm sorry for giving you that drink earlier, I simply didn't know, or maybe, I was never told. You really should speak up in future, that way, unpleasant instances like this won't occur."

"Yeah yeah, I know..." Matt managed to mutter in response, as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. There was some good news, at least: the majority of his reaction was superficial, just the swelling and redness. At least he wasn't in any danger of dying.

"I just... well, it would've been rude to say no..." Matt's words dwindled off as he continued to walk along, his already reddened cheeks turning an even deeper shade of crimson.

 

[nuba km]

Lee went with the group to the shops, he had nothing he needed to buy but he might as well come along. He didn't need to train snover for the tournament, he yet had to figure out how to train octillery and duskull should have had more then enough practice by this point.

"Hey kid, ya feelin' any bet-- WHOA!!" lee turned to see were the noise came from and saw matt 'Dear lord your face looks like a tomato' he said

"Oranges. Your allergic to oranges aren't you? Look, I'm sorry for giving you that drink earlier, I simply didn't know, or maybe, I was never told. You really should speak up in future, that way, unpleasant instances like this won't occur."

"Yeah yeah, I know...I just... well, it would've been rude to say no..." Lee was stunned by this statement 'first of all it ain't rude, second of all even if it was, just be rude. any reasonable person would be fine with not making you drink something that is basically a poison to you, and last of all do you need to go do the hospital or anything?'

 

[Redryhno]

Darius walked along with the group, thinking about what he needed to buy, but zoned out when Remy started talking about the Department Store, he knew the place, they were laid out generally the same, so he wasn't worried about them until he got there.

Matt continued to swell, to the complete ignorance of Caleb, the one who'd given him the juice in the first place. The kid said he'd be ok, and Darius believed him, so he wasn't that worried except for the obliviousiety of the noble brat.

Darius sniffed and continued walking, blowing out smoke as he walked. Goldenrod was a nice city, not the best place he'd ever been, but a sight better than Saffron was when he'd been a kid.

 

[Pappytech]

"...any reasonable person would be fine with not making you drink something that is basically a poison to you, and last of all do you need to go do the hospital or anything?"

Matt's gaze, if possible, fell even lower. "I just... No, I don't need a hospital. This has happened before; I'll be fine in a couple of hours."

Well, this was a great way to start the day.

 

[Anayna]

The eight trainers were fairly eye-catching as they walked the streets of Goldenrod together. Caleb with his sword, Darius with a trail of smoke following him, and especially Matt with his puffed up, red face. Matt's condition managed to freak out Rupert, as his regular musings were broken by the sudden appearance of what appeared to be the Elephantman. Rupert breathed an audible sigh of relief when he overheard Caleb say that this was simply the effect of a nasty case of allergies. Cubone looked up at his trainer irritably and let out a sigh of his own, albeit for entirely different reasons.

At the back of the group (naturally) Rupert fell back into his own mind; he had been considering this shopping trip. Being properly equipped was essential for a proper trainer. That much was clear. The problem was that he really wasn't a proper trainer. Was there something he was missing? How was he to know whether something was missing? He needed to be a good trainer to know that. And to be a good trainer he needed to have nothing missing.

Gah! Damn circular logic! Okay, calm down. You'll just have to look around the department store. See everything on offer. That can't be so hard oh my that is a large building.

Ahead loomed the fabled Goldenrod Department Store. People were flocking in and out of the monolithic building in droves. Rupert had never actually seen anything like it in person before.

This might take a while.

 

[Shakomaru]

As usual, Tom was walking by himself slightly behind everyone, but not as far back as Rupert. And of course, he was also talking to Kusari.

"It's huge isn't it Kusari? I was here a really long time ago, just a quick shopping trip is all. My big going away present. It's where I got my trusty bike. I got those berry pots from here too. The place really does have everything. It's kinda amazing."

"Skor?"

"Oh, we're really just here for a TM. then we'll get right out to training, Ok?"

Seeming to accept this answer, the Skorupi nodded. Tom then noticed that Rupert had fallen behind the group. Walking back to him, He saw that he was once again looking distressed, although Tom found it interesting that the young man had let his Cubone walk around with him.

"Rupert! Why're you looking so glum? We're supposed to be having fun here! Want help finding stuff or something? What ARE you looking out for anyway? Anything in particular?"

Suddenly Rupert was once again the subject of Tom's endless barrage of questioning.

 

[JdaS]

They had indeed arrived, and the Goldenrod City Department Store certainly lived up to its reputation of second biggest in the country. The building was huge, dwarfing other businesses around it, with constant maintenance ensuring it looked as modern and impressive as it did when it was first unveiled 60 years ago.

"Well? Shall we get started then?"

Remy asked, while ushering the gang inside. As they got in, everyone got the same courteous greeting Daria had just gotten moments ago.

"Welcome to The Goldenrod City Department Store! What can we do for you today?"

This was made all the more impressive by the fact that there were not one, not two, but several beautiful young women greeting would be patrons in their matching sky blue uniforms and friendly smiles.

Assuming that Rupert and Matt might not be very comfortable talking to the floor attendants, Remy turned to them and, with a chuckle, noted:

"If you don't want to talk to pretty ladies, there's always the floor plan."

He said, winking at the two and pointing a thumb at a glass monolith behind him, near the elevators.

Floor Plan

B1: Delicatess: Food, Berries, Drinks
1: Lobby: Info Desk, Meeting Point, Café
2: Trainers' Basic: Potions, Heals, Items
3: PokéBall Store: All your PokéBall needs
4: Apothecary: Vitamins & Rare Candies
5: TM Store: The largest selection of TMs in the region
6: Evolution Store: Stones & Other assorted evolutionary items
7: Electronics: PokéGear, Portable TVs, Music Players
8: Hardwear: Camping, Fishing, Tools
9: Food Court: Restaurants for every taste Human & Pokémon alike
10: Roof: Amazing view of the city, Roost Café

"Feel free to split up and do what you want, guys. Y'all know where the inn is, and if you have any trouble, here's my Pokétch number. Now, if ya don't mind, I have some business at the Evolution Store."

Having given his number to the other tenants, Remy and Sneasel made their way towards the elevator.

Wonder if they have any Razor Claws... I have a feeling I might need another one soon enough...
______________________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, at the 8th floor, Daria got an answer to her question.

"Gee, miss, I can't say for sure. We don't carry construction materials here. You might want to ask around the Underground Tunnel. Be careful, though! There are some shady characters who do business in those parts."

 

[Evrant-Knight]

As the group entered the Department Store, they were greeted by several beautiful young women who all wore matching sky blue uniforms, and overall friendly smiles.

"Welcome to The Goldenrod City Department Store! What can we do for you today?" They all asked in unison, to which Caleb gave a charming smile in return, and walked up to the counter.

"Well, hello ladies. I say, its been a while since I was last in Goldenrod, and I was wondering where someone might find a Dawn Stone please?"

"Certainly sir, you can find them on Floor Six, where all the various evolutionary stones and other evolution items are sold."

"Thank you for your assistance, it has been, most helpful. Enjoy your day ladies." Caleb said as he headed towards the elevators, and pressed a button marked Floor Six. He soon arrived on a floor that was stocked with various items, from Dragon Scales to Reaper Cloth, and all the various coloured Evolution Stones that existed. Casting a glance over the Stones counter, he spotted the item that he was looking for, and went up to one of the attendants, who seemed to wear a similar outfit to those at the information desk.

"Good morning, how much is it for the Dawn Stone?"

 

[JokerboyJordan]

When Sav arrived at the Goldenrod Department Store she was in awe of the sheer scale of the thing, of course she had seen department stores before, just like the one in Lilycove, but this one's architecture was certainly something completely different and unique.

"Wow... it's so beautiful! I wonder how many floors it has?"

She entered along with the rest of the group, once there they were immediately greeted by a multitude of women wearing identical uniforms, the store's employees of course.

"Welcome to The Goldenrod City Department Store! What can we do for you today?"

She was initially startled by their seemingly unearthly enthusiasm and joyous greeting, although it wasn't until after that she recognised that they were just doing their jobs. Still, she never wanted to be in a situation like them, being paid simply for smiling and looking pretty. Once she regained her thoughts, she set her mind to the task at hand. Shopping!
She turned to one of the girls.
"Ermm...Yes! Now I remember!" She said with a massive smile on her face. "I was wondering which floor sold Technical Machines? It' my first time here and I just can't wait to get going!"

The girl returned Savannah's warm smile with one of her own.

"Certainly Miss, the TM Store would be on floor number five, we have the largest selection of TM's in the Region. Do enjoy yourself."

Sav thanked the girl, before stepping into the elevator with Caleb and Remy, who seemed to also be heading to a similar floor. In actuality, she was just eager to avoid Darius, and she thought the lift would be the way to go about things.

"You don't mind if I join you guys on the sixth floor do you? I just want to take a look at everything they have here, it's incredible!"

She looked out at the rest of the group from inside the lift and shouted as the doors closed.

"Hey! how about we all meet up on the roof when we're finished? O-..."

It was a short ride up, although the stereotypical lift music accompanied by Caleb's occasional glances made it seem longer than she would've liked it, although all along she was thinking of how she was eventually going to have to interact with Darius again, although it would now obviously be outside of the tournament, not that she cared. She couldn't care less about whether she could forgive him or not.

Once she had arrived at the Evolution Store, something immediately caught her eye as she stepped out of the elevator. There was a set of scales inside a glass case. They seemed to glisten and shine, with an almost mirror-like quality. Sav instinctively rushed towards them.

Could it be...?

She looked down at the sign that was beneath them. Prism Scales

"Oh God! I always needed these! They were always sold out wherever I looked for them in Hoenn! I need this! Oh god oh god oh god! 7000 PD... I have to get it, screw the budget!"

She walked over to the counter and excitedly shouted "One Prism Scale please!". She handed over the lofty sum, before turning it over in her hand, it's surface gleaming with an iridescent sheen. She felt a massive grin on her face, as she thrust the newly purchased item into the air victoriously.

"I have the poooooooweeeeeer!!!"

 

[JdaS]

*DING*

"We've reached the 6th floor. Evolution Store. Enjoy our selection o-"

"Oh God! I always needed these! They were always sold out wherever I looked for them in Hoenn! I need this! Oh god oh god oh god! 7000 PD... I have to get it, screw the budget!"

Savannah rushed out of the elevator to grab and purchase a Prism Scale, holding it up to the light, making it glitter quite beautifully.

Caleb made his way to the evolutionary stones, apparently knowing exactly what he was looking for. Pointing at a light blue stone with a bright sparkle coming from its centre inside of the display counter, the gentleman asked:

"Good morning, how much is it for the Dawn Stone?"

The young lady behind the counter stammered for a moment before answering.

"A-ah, good morning, sir. The Dawn Stones are 10.000P. They are quite rare and sought after, you see."

"I have the poooooooweeeeeer!!!"

Remy lazily followed with Sneasel on his shoulder. He made his way to Savannah, looking over her shoulder (probably one of few to be able to do so) and let out a whistle.

"That's a pretty scale! Expensive too... What is it for?"

 

[CJ1145]

"There are some shady characters who do business in those parts."

The salesclerk was new at his job, and only trying to be helpful and warning the young woman away from getting herself hurt. Unfortunately, he hadn't received the memo of just who he was talking to. Rather than the usual thanks or even nervous worrying he probably would have expected from an average citizen, he got the trademark fiery grin of Daria Pace. She walked past him, slapping him on the back in some strange gesture of thanks in her mind.

"Shady's my favorite kinda guy!" was all she exclaimed as she marched off with her Staryu, still waving around a little wooden mallet as some sort of souvenir. The salesclerk was hunched over, leaning on the aisle shelf as he waited for the intense stinging to dull in his back. He glanced back, seeing Daria's back as she dwindled off into the crowd.

Was she real?

[hr]

Daria casually walked out the store, as oblivious to her companions entering as they were to her exiting when they passed each other. She glanced to her right, at Gemini, still waving its new wooden mallet around.

"Did ya really need that, girl?" Daria asked, skeptical. "That cost me 50P, ya know."

"Hya!" replied Gemini, affirming the worth of its new acquisition. The trainer giggled a bit, shrugging her shoulders as she continued to walk with her companion. They found what they were looking for relatively quickly, a small stairway built into the side of the street and leading down into the Goldenrod Tunnel. Daria leaned down, getting a good look down the stairway. She could already see the eponymous Tunnel was quite dark, gray, and possessing its fair share of litter.

"Eeyup. Looks shady all right. Looks like it won't disappoint!"

Daria and Gemini descended into the Tunnel, their steps echoing off the gray stone. They were greeted by the smell of must, and the underbelly of a metropolis. No one was immediately visible down here, most people relegating themselves to corners and shadows. She could see a hair salon down in the distance, probably the only reputable business establishment in the entire underground. But it wasn't what she was looking for.

She turned off in the other direction, and began trotting down a ways. This was a more darkly-lit area, most of the lights burned out after a long time without replacement bulbs. She saw an alleyway to her right trailing off into the darkness. She considered going down it to see what she might discover, but it seemed fate was reading her mind. The contents of the alleyway came out to meet her.

Some punk with a scrappy frame dressed in a leather skull'n'crossbones jackets, with red leather pants and a blue spike-hawk hairdo stepped out into the center of the main Tunnelway. At his side was a significantly less scrappy Machoke, its burly muscles standing out even more in the selective lighting of the tunnel. They both stared down their latest victim, the trainer twirling a switchblade in his hand.

"Well, well, Machoke, lookee wot we got 'ere!" the punk cackled in his odd accent. Daria raised an eyebrow at him.

"What's with your voice, dude? Ya from Unova or somethin'?"

"Don't worry 'bout me voice, poppet." the man who could literally be nothing else but a mugger replied, grinning. Daria could spot a few missing teeth. "The matter at 'and's yer wollot."

Daria's brows furrowed, looking like she was about to snarl. Then, they went up into a hopelessly confused state. "What the heck's a wollot?"

The mugger slammed his face with an open palm and let a muffled scream into it. "Bloightin'... must be one of them Kanto hicks or somefin. Yor CASH, lady, we're talkin' 'bout yor MONEY."

"Oh... what about it?"

The mugger actually lifted his shutter shades to look at her more clearly, by now utterly dumbfounded. "Are... are you stoopid? This is a hold-up! A throwdown, a bleedin' robbery! Put yor 'ands in the air an' gimme yor money!"

Daria scratched her chin, confused by these orders. "How can I hand you my money if my hands are in the air?.."

The mugger screamed, openly into the air this time, before pointing at his Machoke. "C'mon! We don't got time for gettin' walloped with this idjit's stoopid stick! We'll just take it by force!"

Both the mugger and the Machoke stopped and felt a weird chill run down their spines as their target let out an uproarious bout of laughter. Daria hunched over, slapping her knee. "Oh, MAN! That's--BWAHAHAHA--oh, jeez, that's a good one, man! Ya almost got me for a second! Like ya think ya can handle the Pewter Fist in a fight!"

The man's eyebrow twitched, giving way to a sadistic smile. "Oh, from Pewter are we? Sorry, poppet, but me mate here's ransacked your gym more'n once wif all the trainer's 'e's been throo!"

Daria straightened up, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "Yeah, I guess I might be kinda scared if I cared for a second to fight you with a Rock type. In reality... WATER GUN!"

"HYAA!"

"Macho?--" blurted out the Fighting-type, just a second before a gout of water sent it blasting back into the wall with a solid smack. It rebounded off the wall, right around the time Daria called out a Rapid Spin.

"HYAAAAAA--" cried Gemini, its form turning into a circular blur as it rocketed from the ground and rammed itself into the Machoke's chest. It was ground back into the wall, being worn down by the arms shearing away at its chest. It let out one more cry before the pain was too much, and it slumped to the ground unconscious. Its trainer had only a second to note its loss before he saw Daria calmly approach him, giving a "come hither" wave with her fore and middle fingers.

"Let's see if you fare any better, Spikey." she taunted, with a smirk on her lips. The mugger made no retort, opting instead for the tried and true method of screeching through his teeth, charging with the switchblade and swinging it wildly for her abdomen.

"Hup!" Daria grunted said, leaping to her right. "And, ho!" She pivoted on her left foot, spinning to her right and bringing a crashing spinning backheel into the mugger's face. His shutter shades shattered, and the switchblade swiveled in the air before slinking out of his grip to the floor beneath. A pained little moan escaped his lips as he fell backwards, blood dripping out of his nose and a giant splotch of purple from the impact point and spreading out about three inches in every direction. Daria laughed, throwing a thumbs up to Gemini--who returned the gesture with an oustretched limb-- before leaning down over her defeated opponent with a beaming expression.

"Well, I was GONNA let ya know all about who I was, but seems like ya kinda went out easier than I thought ya would! I think I'll just take THIS," she added, picking up the switchblade. "so ya can't hurt anybody else."

She straightened her back again, calling over Gemini as the two of them went walking away. Daria stopped by a trash can, tossing her stolen blade into it, confident that the mugger wouldn't think for a second that someone would throw away a weapon. Her newest targets for conversation were a group of younger-looking hoodlums gathered on the stoop of a long-abandoned shop, all in too-big-for-their-size jackets and most of them wearing flat caps. She'd seen little kid's gangs like this back in Pewter before, though none as large as the seven members this one boasted. Little orphan kids, gathered together with each other and their Pokemon for protection. Not so great challenges, but good for information.

"Heya, slummers!" Daria cheerily shouted out as she approached them. She was oblivious to the negative connotations of the term; it was simply what she'd called the ones she befriended back in Pewter, and they seemed to take it well enough. "I'm lookin' for ironwood, anybody seen some around here?"

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"A-ah, good morning, sir. The Dawn Stones are 10.000P. They are quite rare and sought after, you see." The saleswoman behind the counter remarked with a slight stammer, giving an explanation regarding the item's high priced. Caleb thought to himself briefly, before taking out his wallet, and checking over the money that was inside. He then faced the saleswoman again.

"Interesting, it could be that its high price, is also attributed to the fact that only two Pokémon can actually evolve from it, and even then its quite specific about the gender of said Pokémon. You know its funny, the pre-evolved forms, are gender opposites of what they become; perhaps when they call it the Dawn Stone, they mean that its the dawn of a new life for some Pokémon. But enough talking about semantics, I'd like to purchase one please." Caleb said, placing a number of Pokédollars which totalled the asking price on the counter.

 

[Redryhno]

The Dept. Store was nice, the same layout as the Kanto store, but this Johto one had better customer service, he supposed. At least, as far as he could tell, the area around the layout map was curiously much less scuffed and scratched compared to the rest of the ground floor, which was almost impeccable. Sav, Remy, and Caleb knew exactly what they'd come here for, and Darius was no exception, at least in that category.

He started off by bypassing the girls completely and using the stairs, if this place was laid out anything like the Kanto store, his first stop was up that way. He'd returned Daffy and Knuckles to their pokeballs so that he could get his shopping done and get out of here. A few of his "fans" from yesterday may still be a bit upset about his decision.

Arriving at Trainer's Basics, he put out his pipe, but kept it clutched in his teeth. He began searching through the aisles for a few items, when he heard a voice he knew quite well.

"Oh, look here,"A perfectly tuned, but high-pitched voice said from his left,"Lil Dairy is here buying pokeblock ingredients."

"And Littler Lucie is probably still as tiny as ever, I'd bet." He said, turning to face the slight woman with impossibly bright multi-colored neon hair. The two friends embraced, with a few strands of hair falling on Darius' clothes, along with a dusting of fur from her Delcatty which was sitting nearby.

"I see you evolved Kit-Kat. How long's it been?"

"Oh, I don' know, a few yeeeeeeeearrrs?" She said stretching, again he could never understand her fascination with her Skitty's, now Delcatty's, qualities. "You really screwed the Poocheyna, didn't you? Quitting and leaving that girl in the dirt, a shame really, Dairy."

"A shame what? Mind if we talk while I pick up some stuff?" They started off down the aisle, Darius having picked up a shopping basket and tenderly putting items in it.

"A shame that you broke up with her before you beat her that badly and then you go and give her a pity victory!" She jumped up and smacked the back of his head. "Dumbass! You don't do that to a girl the day you break up with her! You don't do that to any girl!"

Darius was visibly perplexed by this turn of events. Lucie was always a bit strange, since the day she'd passed by the Day-Care a few months after he'd decided to start his career. But this was something he'd never even considered with Sav seeming to be a bit miffed with him.

"Uhhhh...Kinda unsure how to say this, but...I just met her the day before yester-"

"Oooooohhhh, quick worker you've become, haven't you? Kick 'em out before the sun rises, eh?"

"Not really. I just got lucky and she'd said she wanted to go as far in the tournament as possible. Me winning didn't do much more than finish her part in the tournament and me getting bored eventually. I didn't come to win, I just came to drum up a bit of business, the old man went head-down, feet-up year before last, so I've been on my own. Took a bit of a tour of Hoenn, thanks to you not shutting up about it. Got a Whismur and Numel eggs out of it though. How'd this go from us trying to catch up to talking about my love life?"

"Because,"She purred as she spoke,Darius still had no idea how she did that"It's soooooo much more entertaining than two of us catching up."

"Oh, yeah, that. I forgot that about you." He picked up a few more spices and headed for the counter."Got any advice for how to somehow make it up to her?"

"That'll be 1200 PD." Darius handed over the amount from his wallet and took the bag the clerk handed back to him.

"Yeah, get her something here, maybe. Dumbass. Arceus, you'd think you'd never had a long-term relationship. Oh wait! You haven't! Ahahahahahahha!!!"

"Well, thanks for that ego boost. I'm at the Sleeping Sunkern if you actually want to talk or catch up. Plus I guess I'll be up at the cafe in a bit, since you love seeing people tear each other apart."

The breeder and trainer left the store then, both heading for the elevator, Darius pressing the Medicine Store, Lucie the Berry store in the basement. The elevator dropped and the doors opened at the Basement floor. She simply stood there, before the doors closed again and all she did was look at him, eyes twinkling, but face innocent and straight. They then ascended and the doors opened at the Apothecary Store.

"See you later Dairy. Don't be a stranger." Stood on her tip-toes and pecked his cheek before violently pulling his ear, and subsequently, head, down to her normal level."Don't screw yourself up too much."She whispered into his ear.

Darius rubbed his head before heading into the store and buying a bottle of Calcium to give to Daffy or Knuckles, he wasn't sure just yet, as well as going back to the elevator and heading to the TM Archive a few floors up. Once there, he looked around and after choosing a few Tms, he headed for the counter.

"That's going to be 9,000 PD, sir."

"Hold your Ponytas, I'm getting it out. Here kid, take an extra 100. And could you wrap this one?" He handed the green-disk to the clerk, who wrapped it in a purple paper and handed it back with a pink ribbon. The other two tms - Sandstorm and Flame Charge - he put in his pocket. Resilient little things they were.

Finally was to head to the Roost Cafe and wait for the rest of the group. The purple wrapped TM he laid out for whenever its recipient arrived. He let Daffy and Knuckles out of their pokeballs and ordered some food. A basket of fries and drinks. The trio dug into their food and awaited the rest of their shopping party.

 

[Pappytech]

"Feel free to split up and do what you want, guys. Y'all know where the inn is, and if you have any trouble, here's my Pokétch number. Now, if ya don't mind, I have some business at the Evolution Store."

Matt waved goodbye as Remy, Caleb, and Sav hurried off, each of them with some specific item or other on their mind. However, as the young trainer examined the listings that his guide had so kindly pointed out, he found himself at an utter loss. There was no need for him to purchase any berries or drinks, and his personal supply of healing items had yet to fail him. Thanks to an insistent guardian, he already had more Pokeballs then he would ever use, and the vitamins that could boost his team's stats would undoubtedly be well outside his price range. TMs might be nice, but they also posed quite a problem to his budget, as well as anything that the Evolution Store might hold.

No matter what venue he studied, Matt simply couldn't find anything he needed, or even particularly wanted. So, with little else to do, the lad readjusted his pack and made his way to the building's stairwell.

The enclosed space was, regrettably, quite crowded, even this early in the morning. As Matt ascended the seemingly unending steps, he was constantly surrounded by a swarm of other shoppers, many of them staring at his still bizarrely colored face with a mix of curiosity and revulsion. Still, at least there was a bit more room to maneuver than in the elevator; here he could always escape into the less cramped stores.

Though it took a while, and his route was full of detours and backtracks, Matt continued to make his way upwards. By the time he made it to the upper floors of the shopping center the hordes of people had thinned noticeably, and as the young trainer trudged past the food court, ignoring its decedent advertisements and mouth-watering aromas, he found himself almost entirely alone.


A mighty gust of wind greeted Matt as he pushed open the door to the mall's roof; it was only thanks to a quick hand that the trainer was able to prevent his hat from being blown away. Positioning the emerald accessory so that it wouldn't try to escape again, the lad examined his surroundings. Through the sun's glaring light Matt was able to make out a decent sized crowd clustered around the Roost Cafe, laughing and eating their various treats as they compared purchases. A few other groups of people, mostly tourists judging by their attire, could be seen standing at the railing that surrounded the roof, their admiring oohs and aahs nearly blown away by the wind before they could reach Matt's ears.

Spotting an empty stretch of barrier, Matt allowed the door to clang shut behind him as he marched over to the railing. As he walked, the trainer's hands went to the Pokeballs strapped to his waist, and in three brilliant flashes of light Ventus, Spike, and Persephone joined their master on the rooftop. Though the zephyrs nearly sent the Pidgeotto and Gastly flying away at first, it wasn't too long before they had adjusted to the constant bursts of air. In a matter of moments Ventus had figured out how to effortlessly slice through the wind, almost floating as the air buffeted his wings. Persephone, meanwhile, quickly learned that the best way to keep her gaseous form intact was to remain on the lee side of her trainer, bobbing around Matt's legs to avoid the worst of the gales.

Scooping up Spike and setting the fire-type on his shoulder, Matt approached the railing and stared out over the massive metropolis that sprawled out before him. When he had stumbled through the streets, alone and lost, the city had seemed so large, imposing, and threatening. But from up here, though it certainly didn't seem any smaller, Matt was able to see why Goldenrod was so beloved by its natives. The towering buildings that gleamed in the sun's brilliant rays, the hustle and bustle as millions of people went about their day, the scents of a thousand shops and restaurants melding into a single, appetizing aroma. From up here, Matt could almost understand why someone would want to live here, a single member in a sea of a million faces.

"Quite a sight, isn't it guys?"

"Quil," squeaked Spike from his perch on Matt's shoulder.

"Rrrrrroo," came Ventus' agreeing coo as he alighted on the railing next to his trainer and teammates.

"Gas, gastly," Persephone chimed in as she bobbed in place, unblinking eyes drinking in the impressive sight.

In silence, Matt and his team simply stood/floated, staring at the city stretched out before them. Things would undoubtedly get busy later on, but for now it was nice to simply stand still in peace and quiet.

 

[Anayna]

Not yet recovered from his shock over the sheer size of the store, Rupert was bombarded with questions from inquisitive Tom.

"Rupert! Why're you looking so glum? We're supposed to be having fun here! Want help finding stuff or something? What ARE you looking out for anyway? Anything in particular?"

"Well, um... I... I mean..."

Tom only wanted to help; this Rupert knew. The Johto native had been a real friend to him during his time in Goldenrod, and Rupert still felt grateful to him for what he had learned in his battle against Tom (he still needed to thank Tom for that). There was even a side of Rupert that appreciated Tom's talkative nature; it made it so much easier for Rupert himself to stay quiet. That being said, he now felt a bit strained around him. He liked Tom and greatly admired him as a trainer. But this was exactly why he didn't want to seem like a fool in front of him. He had no idea what to get in the store. This was supposed to be the advent of Rupert the Mighty Trainer. Why was he still bumbling along? Quick! Make something up!

"I-I'm here for the evolutionary... potion. The Dusk Potion. The e-evolutionary dusk stone potion of... i-it's like a held item? I think?"

At this Tom looked as confused as a Koffing faced with a no-smoking sign.

"... Could I maybe just come with you?"

And so it was that Rupert later found himself on the fifth floor, feeling like a bit of an idiot. Tom was of somewhere browsing the store's considerable collection of TMs. Rupert was on his own, engaging in behavior that could best be described as sulking. Convinced that he was never going to be anything more than a middling trainer he was lazily looking at a display of TMs, reading their description all the whilst feeling sorry for himself.

TM01: Hone Claws - God, I'm such an idiot. I can admit it to myself. Might as well admit it to everyone else. - TM04: Calm Mind - Heck, they might even take sympathy on me. It's not like I couldn't use their help. - TM07: Hail - Hail? More like fail. I really thought I could change. Guess I'm still plain old Rupert. - TM09: Venoshock - And another thing! Why couldn't I talk to those nice girls who greeted u... wait, what?

Rupert's dragging steps came to a halt. He read the description for the move called Venoshock again. It seemed that Venoshock inflicted damage and that its normal power of 65 doubled to 130 when the target was poisoned. Haunter was part Poison. And his Special Attack was pretty high. And he knew the quite accurate Toxic.
The gears in Rupert's brain were slowly turning as he put two and two together.

"Um, e-excuse me, miss? How much is this TM?"

The young man at the counter struck the saleswoman as awkward but in good spirits.

 

[JokerboyJordan]

Savannah, still standing triumphant, took her Pokeball from the belt on her hip, and released her Feebas into the shop.
A voice came from right next to her ear, someone's hot breath on her shoulder.
"That's a pretty scale! Expensive too... What is it for?"

She froze, her feet rooted firmly to the spot. She turned her head slowly, before realise just how close the person were, causing her to be incredibly startled and lurch herself, her temple colliding with the would-be eavesdropper with a loud *THUD*

"Owwwwww!"

Sav turned around, still slightly in pain, but more in annoyance and anger at the perpetrator. Her feelings subsided when she saw that it was Remy hunched over and rubbing his head furiously.

"I'm so sorry! It's just that you were so close... and I wasn't really expecting you..."

As she spoke she felt a warm rush come to her cheeks, her face turning slightly rosy, she knew that she was blushing due to their brief proximity. She quickly overcame this ordeal, shaking herself slightly, before giving a friendly hug to Remy, showing she harboured no ill feelings.

"Anyway, this is a Prism Scale. Ever since I acquired ol' Feebas here I knew that this wasn't it's final form, and that inside was a beautiful swan desperate to break free from the shackles of it's current appearance. This little item helps inspire it, to help it see it's inner beauty. To make it evolve."

She showed it against the light again, making it shimmer uncontrollably.

"Just like so..."

She gave the Prism Scale to Feebas. At first it didn't know what to do with it, but it soon became interesting in it's qualities, and understood it's significance. The Pokemon shed a single tear as it had found something that it could aspire to.

And Sav waited. She waited some more. Still nothing. Why wasn't it working?! Nothing else was happening, the pokemon floated there still holding it's item, oblivious to what it was suppose to do.

"...I don't know what's happening! It was supposed to make it evolve... Is there something wrong? I read it up, there's nothing wrong... Water Stones wouldn't work... and now this... What a waste of money!"

Feebas looked at her with it's beady eyes. Sav took her Pokeball and withdraw it, her public outcry causing quite a scene. She seemed to be adept at those nowadays.
She returned to the lift, taking it down one level to the TM Store. There she browsed the selection, hoping to find something to help her other pokemon, the one's that were capable of fighting at least...

She picked up an Aerial Ace. Funny, she had always thought that it was called a different name, but well enough, it would provide ample type coverage for Sprig for now. Hoping that she could other some of the other trainers for their TMs as well. She also bought Dig for Set, knowing that it wouldn't be able to learn it before it evolved.
Another TM caught her eye. Scald. A water type move with decent damage and a chance to inflict a burn on it's opponent. It was a move she had never seen before. At least Feebas was able to learn TMs, unlike Magikarp, so that was something. She took that too.

"9000 Pokedollars please Miss"

"Certainly" she said as she handed over the money, leaving her with , modest amount of funds left. 9000$.

Disheartened by her recent purchase, and having bought everything she set out to buy and more, Savannah once again returned to the elevator, and pushed the button for the Rooftop Cafe, hoping to retreat to a table in the corner and mope for a little.