30. Catching Vulpix

After finally losing the Psyduck, Paul rested for a night on Beauty Street in Celadon City.

Today, Paul intended to take a proper look around this street. Beauty Street, also known as Breeder Street, was home to many skilled breeders. Paul planned to buy some energy cubes and a portable berry blender while he was here.

It couldn't be helped; there were more and more mouths to feed. Relying solely on premade energy cubes was becoming too costly. Paul decided to become self-sufficient, and any excess energy cubes could be sold to his brother's breeding house to generate income.

* That's odd, why are there so many gaudy things here? * Paul looked at a group of Pokémon covered in heavy makeup and questioned himself. * Am I out of touch? Or is the world changing too quickly? *

Paul believed the way for Pokémon to display their charm should be to showcase the natural beauty of a Pokémon's fur, physique, and moves. Applying makeup to a Pokémon like this seemed almost unnatural.

"Paul!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!" The energetic voice, he knew instantly who it was.

"Yeah, Ash. You caught up," Paul spread his hands. * I've been lingering in Celadon City for a week; it's no surprise you caught up. *

"Misty, Brock, are you two alright?" Paul waved to the two trailing behind Ash.

"We're okay," Misty replied, sounding depressed.

"What's wrong with her?" Paul asked Brock.

"Hahaha, she caught a rather dense Psyduck," Brock explained with a smile.

* Oh? What?! * Paul was shocked. * That Psyduck is something else. After I got away from it, it turned around and joined Misty, just like it was supposed to. That Psyduck really made a move! *

"Oh, by the way, Brock. I have something to ask you," Paul looked at Brock.

"Well, tell me," Brock nodded.

"It's about Squirtle. It's not ideal for him to just follow me around all the time. Since you used to be a Rock type Gym Leader, I didn't think to ask you before. But if he just stays with me, his training will stagnate. Could you please take care of him?"

This was carefully considered by Paul. The little Squirtle followed him everywhere. Although it didn't have to worry about food and drink, it didn't get much attention, which wasn't good for its development. * Ash and Misty both have Squirtle, but Brock doesn't. It seems right he should get one too. *

Brock himself is an excellent breeder, and the Pokémon he cares for aren't limited to Rock types. * I believe Squirtle won't lack anything following Brock. *

"Really? Thank you for trusting me, Paul. Then leave the little Squirtle to me. I'll raise him well!" Brock took the Poké Ball and said solemnly.

"That's great, Brock," Ash congratulated him from the side.

"Now we can see who raises the best Squirtle," Misty said confidently.

The three of them talked and laughed as they came to a Pokémon beauty shop with exaggerated, gaudy decorations.

"Wow, is this popular recently!? It's so cute," Misty looked at the gaudy display in the window; its painted red mouth looked ridiculous, like a Koffing and an Ekans dressed up for a school play. She praised it effusively.

Ash, Brock: "Er... how should I put this?"

Paul was blunt: "This style is awful. That Koffing and Ekans remind me of those Team Rocket idiots."

Brock nodded in agreement, "This salon is all flash and no substance, really low class."

Hearing this, Misty reluctantly continued walking with the three boys.

Inside the tacky beauty shop, Jessie and James were busy slathering bright paint on a customer's Pokémon and adorning it with cheap pearl jewelry.

"Woohoo! Perfect!" the two admired their handiwork with satisfaction.

The poor Pokémon covered its face, shuffling out of the beauty shop looking utterly embarrassed.

* Such outrageously bad taste. Who else could it be but those Team Rocket buffoons? *

For the moment, Paul and Ash, unaware that Team Rocket was involved, followed Brock to the entrance of a simple, clean looking beauty salon.

"This is it!" Brock shouted, rushing to the door excitedly, then hesitating, trembling slightly as he reached for the handle.

Seeing Brock's lovesick behavior, Paul turned to the others. "I bet the owner is a beautiful woman."

Misty nodded in agreement.

Ignoring the hesitant Brock, Paul pushed open the door and walked in with Ash and Misty. Brock had no choice but to follow, blushing.

"Welcome. I'll be finished here shortly, please wait a moment." A gentle female voice came from beside a massage table. A young woman with long, dark green hair cascading down her back like a waterfall, possibly wearing a stylist's smock, was concentrating on massaging a Chansey lying on the table.

Under the woman's massage techniques, the Chansey's skin became smooth and supple; the whole Pokémon seemed to glow. It practically radiated health.

"You're very skilled," Paul remarked, watching the woman's massage technique curiously.

Pokémon massage effectively relieves muscle fatigue after training. It's also an effective way to increase the bond between a trainer and their Pokémon. As someone whose family ran a breeding center, Paul knew the basics, but clearly, this woman's massage skills were far superior to his own.

*'Oh, oh, I long for her gentle hands kneading my body... Oh, Elegant Butterfly...' * Haunter's voice echoed faintly in Paul's mind.

Paul recoiled internally. * Well, I'm caught off guard. Are you serious? Old pervert, ugh! *

* Regarding his Haunter, whose mind seemed perpetually in the gutter, Paul thought, When it comes to being inappropriate, you take the cake! *

"Alright," the woman said, removing her hands. The Chansey looked smooth and positively radiant.

After the Chansey's trainer collected their Pokémon, the woman turned to Paul and his companions.

"Okay, may I ask who is next?"

Ash hesitated, stammering, "Well... actually..." He seemed intimidated, perhaps worried about the cost of such a service.

Fortunately, Misty interrupted.

"Look, there's a Vulpix here!" Following Misty's pointed finger, everyone saw a fiery red Vulpix with glossy fur napping quietly on a chair.

Ash habitually pulled out his Pokédex whenever he saw a new Pokémon. * His Pokémon knowledge really is lacking. *

"This little one is so cute! Can I pet it?" Misty asked excitedly.

Paul looked at Misty speechlessly. * You've already scooped it up, isn't asking permission a bit late? And seeing its mouth slightly open like that... you're asking for trouble. *

"Misty, I'd advise you to put it down."

Just as Paul finished speaking, Vulpix opened its mouth. Boom! A Flamethrower attack hit Misty square in the face. The effect was outstanding!

Misty's face was scorched black, and she collapsed.

"I'm so sorry, my Vulpix is shy around strangers," the stylist explained sheepishly.

"See? I warned you," Paul shrugged.

Misty lay on the ground, looking utterly miserable.

Since entering the salon, Brock had finally composed himself. He stumbled forward and spoke. "Miss Suzie! You... hello... I... I'm Brock. My dream is to become a great breeder like you!"

Paul tilted his head, looking at Brock. * Didn't you end up wanting to become a Pokémon Doctor? Did you change your mind later, or is Nurse Joy just more appealing? *

Suzie nodded with a polite smile. "It's nice to meet you, Brock."

Suzie came to stand before Brock. Paul was surprised to notice Brock was actually a little shorter than Suzie. Paul, who exercised regularly and focused on his nutrition, was currently about the same height as Brock, around 1.68 meters. Suzie looked to be about 1.7 meters tall.

'Whatever, I'm still young, I can still grow,' Paul thought, taking out a bottle of calcium supplements and swallowing two tablets.

Paul was still contemplating this when Brock unexpectedly asked Suzie to take him on as her apprentice.

Paul thought, * Is he trying to become her student? He's just infatuated with Suzie. How pathetic, ugh! *

Haunter mentally added, * +1! *

Misty seemed to agree, adding mentally, * +2! *

Predictably, Brock was rejected.

Paul really wanted to tell Brock something. * Someone who flirts shamelessly everywhere might be called a player, but someone like you who fawns over everyone...* He mentally gestured dismissively. * You can only be called a simp! *

As a top breeder recognized by the Pokémon League, Suzie certainly had the qualifications to take on an apprentice, but that apprentice wouldn't be Brock.

Brock made the atmosphere awkward. Paul decided against asking about massage techniques for now and suggested they all get coffee together and chat.

While having coffee, Paul let all his Pokémon out for lunch.

Looking at the food Paul fed his Pokémon, Suzie asked curiously, "This doesn't look like the premade kind sold in stores. Did you make it yourself?"

Paul smiled and nodded after distributing the food. "Well, the Pokémon I have eat a lot, so I have to prepare their food myself. Training is tough, and this way I can personally ensure they get the right nutrition."

Suzie squatted down curiously, looked at Paul's Pokémon food, picked some up, and smelled it.

Paul inwardly worried the woman might stuff the Pokémon food into her mouth like Brock sometimes did.

Fortunately, Suzie just sniffed it before offering the food in her hand to the Vulpix resting nearby.

Vulpix sniffed it cautiously, then squinted its eyes and ate it in one bite. Afterward, it trotted over to Paul's Charmeleon. Looking up at Charmeleon with wide eyes, Vulpix started acting cute, little sparkles appearing around it.

Charmeleon looked flustered. * Okay, okay, you can have some, just stop being so cute! *

Vulpix winked playfully.

Paul stood nearby, covering his face. "Charmeleon, you're unbelievable."

Charmeleon grumbled, * Aww... (I didn't want to give it to her, but she called me 'big brother'...) *

Suzie looked at Paul and his friends with a smile. "It seems you're very skilled at preparing Pokémon food, Paul. My Vulpix is extremely picky. Besides the food I make, this is the first time it's eaten food made by someone else."

"Haha, it's fine. Eat as much as you like. Charmeleon's treating," Paul laughed.

Charmeleon looked at Vulpix and waved its claws magnanimously, as if saying, 'It's all on me, little one.'

Paul eyed Charmeleon doubtfully.

During their pleasant afternoon coffee break, Ash and Misty weren't idle. After exchanging just a few words, an argument erupted. Finally, Misty stormed away from the table angrily, heading towards the gaudy beauty salon they had passed earlier, the one run by Team Rocket.

"Can't you two go five minutes without arguing? Even eating doesn't shut you up," Paul asked Ash, exasperated.

"Hmph, Paul, just leave her alone! That girl is so stubborn! She's clearly not cute, but she expects me to praise her!" Paul was completely baffled by Ash's dense, straightforward remarks.

* Good job, Ash. Keep this up, and Serena's path will be clear! What girl could possibly capture the heart of a guy as dense as you... *

* But Misty already went into the Team Rocket store. Is that really okay? This always feels like trouble... * Paul rubbed his temples. * Maybe I should just leave first? Let Ash and the others handle this themselves? *

However, before he could slip away, Suzie agreed to Brock's request to give a lecture on Pokémon massage. Paul, eager to learn the techniques, had to sit back down.

After listening to the insightful lecture, Paul felt enlightened. * When I get back home, I'll teach Reggie this theory. It will definitely improve the business at our family's breeding center! *

Meanwhile, Misty, ever persistent, was still inside the Team Rocket beauty salon.

As the lecture continued, Misty's Psyduck suddenly ran back in a panic.

Alright, the lecture concluded. Brock and Ash, along with Suzie, quickly headed towards Team Rocket's shop.

Paul took out a mental stopwatch and started counting down. * Three... two... one... boom! *

Boom! Right on cue, an explosion sounded, and the three members of Team Rocket were sent blasting off, disappearing into the sky like tiny meteors.

"I don't even know why they bother showing up," Paul muttered, curling his lip in disgust.

After resolving the Team Rocket disturbance, Suzie felt inspired and decided to embark on a journey again to further hone her skills. Brock's attempt to become her apprentice was officially a failure.

The little Vulpix rubbed against Paul's trousers affectionately, seeming unwilling for him to leave. In the end, Suzie decided to entrust Vulpix to Paul, believing it could reach a bigger stage with him.

Everyone bid farewell to Suzie and continued their journey. Paul had once again acquired a lovely Vulpix. Unknowingly, it seemed the foundation for a weather focused team was beginning to form.

* It's just... why am I traveling with Ash again?! * Paul looked down the road ahead with a pained expression, anticipating getting sidetracked again on the next leg of his journey.

______________

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