Trials of a Champion - Kanto [Pokemon x OC]

21 City of Rainbow Dreams

We arrived in Celadon City, a place known for its tall buildings, swarming crowds of people, and flower shops. To me, it was certainly large, and definitely bustling, but unlike the madness of cities such as Saffron, Celadon possessed a calm, cosmopolitan atmosphere. The people we came across seemed polite, going about their business as usual; arranging flowers or having chats at coffee shops and cafes.

After making a short stop at the Pokémon Center, Paul and I walked up and down the streets looking for the Gym. It seemed impossible to us with all of the skyscrapers, even with a map in our hands.

We wandered for about half an hour, until my nose picked up a lovely scent, something very fragrant and delicious. Pikachu caught a whiff of whatever I did, too. "Do you guys smell that?"

"Smell what?" Paul asked.

"Perfume, I think. It smells heavenly. Pikachu, do you think you can find it?" Pikachu guided me down the street, leaving Paul and Luxio in our dust.

Our noses led us to a popular perfume shop, titled Perfume Palace in big green letters on a banner above the door. The outside was painted a dark, natural green color. On the bay window, various perfume collections sat on display, capturing my attention like a magnet.

Paul and Luxio caught up to us. "What are you making faces at, Rosa? We've got a Gym to find."

"The Gym isn't going anywhere, and I just want to have a look inside. I won't be long."

He grumbled and folded his arms. "What is it with girls and perfume?"

"What is it with boys being an annoyance?" I opened the door and stepped inside.

Listening to the doorbell ring, Pikachu and I carefully looked about the room. The source of the wonderful smell turned out to be the entire shop, not just a specific perfume bottle. I appeared to not be the only person enraptured by the aroma either. Lots of other ladies browsed the massive collection, a few men sprinkled amongst them.

Pikachu directed me over to a collection of rose-scented perfumes. "Pikachu, did my name have anything to do with you picking these out?" I asked. She sheepishly looked away with a faint blush. "You're the absolute best."

A lady approached us, wearing a pink uniform and green hair put up in pigtails. "Hi there, and welcome to our shop. My name's Anna. Would you like to try a sample, ma'am?"

"Yes, please, and you can just call me Rosa."

She giggled sweetly. "I can see why you picked this one then."

Anna sat me down in a chair, bringing out a bottle of the rose perfume. "This one is a best-seller. It's called Summer Embrace. It's a mix of rose buds and vanilla, plus a touch of mandarin, magnolia, and sandalwood. A very nice scent all year-round." She spritzed a bit of perfume onto my wrist.

Pikachu and I both took a sniff. "It smells divine!"

"If you like this one, I recommend trying this scent. It's called Daffodil Dream." She quickly retrieved a perfume bottle near the checkout counter. Then she sprayed it on my unscented wrist.

The minute I smelled that perfume, I muttered, "It smells just like a garden."

One of Anna's coworkers approached us with a big smile. "We're having a fragrance sale today and tomorrow."

"I really liked Summer's Embrace. How much does it cost?"

Before they could answer, Paul rushed inside the fragrance store. "Don't buy it, Rosa!"

It surprised me to find him here at all. "Wha... What are you—?!"

He jumped in my face. "Perfume's just a waste of money and it stinks!"