"I want to buy a gift for some girls. Do you have any recommendations?"
Grey voiced his dilemma.
"What kind of girls are they?" the clerk asked.
What you should give depended on what they were like.
Otherwise, if all you said was "a girl," she couldn't responsibly recommend anything.
If she recommended the wrong thing, she'd get fined.
"Let me think…"
Grey considered it for a moment.
Based on what he knew about the two of them, he slowly said, "One is a psychic. She's usually pretty cold on the outside, but she's actually delicate inside—she's the kind of girl who really wants friendship."
Just as the clerk was about to recommend something, she saw Grey continue.
"The other one is also a psychic. She's a rich heiress, I think, but she's more cheerful—and she's more sensitive when it comes to feelings."
After Grey finished, he noticed the clerk looking at him differently.
"...?"
Sensing the emotion she was giving off through Aura, Grey immediately knew she'd gotten the wrong idea.
"They're both just friends. Seriously."
Grey waved his hands and let out an awkward laugh.
"If they're friends, then how about a handmade gift you make yourself?" the clerk suggested, realizing her slip-up. "If you're not sure what to buy, you could sit in the craft section and string something together. It's the thought that counts."
"Sure. Then could you tell me where I can buy tools?" Grey said. He genuinely thought the suggestion was good.
It was just a bit time-consuming and tiring, but otherwise fine.
Though if he was really going to do crafts, Grey was already thinking about recruiting some outside help.
"No problem. I'll take you to the craft section. Whatever you want to make, they provide tools there."
The clerk led Grey to the third-floor craft area.
Inside the glass displays, all kinds of semi-finished pieces glittered under spotlights—each one dazzling.
Enamel-painted Pokeball pendants, resin bracelets with Butterfree wing patterns, earrings strung with Electirizer-like beads…
Beneath every piece, there was a warm little tag left by the creator.
"This place is actually pretty nice. They put real thought into it."
Grey scanned the area, then asked, "Is there a machine nearby for trading Pokemon?"
"Yes—right over there."
The clerk pointed toward a corner.
A public booth setup was placed there, along with a trade machine.
Grey nodded, walked over, and called the dojo.
Beep… beep… beep…
"This is the Fighting Dojo. What is it?"
Silver's cold voice came through.
"Silver, bring Gallade's Pokeball over here and trade with me."
Grey explained the situation briefly.
Silver moved fast, swapping Gallade's Pokeball with Grey's Gurdurr's Pokeball.
Then—
Grey sat down and released Gallade and Metang.
"Those two Pokemon… are you Gym Leader Grey?"
A stranger's voice suddenly came from behind him.
Grey turned his head—and saw a Trainer who looked a lot like what Gary Oak might resemble as an adult.
His hairstyle even looked a bit like Zapdos's silhouette. Just standing there, he gave off that arrogant, rebellious vibe.
"Mr. Blue. Didn't expect to run into you here."
Grey recognized him immediately.
One of Kanto's two battle legends—Blue.
"Didn't think you'd know me. So what are you doing here?" Blue's mouth curled upward, clearly thrilled that Grey recognized him.
"A bit of something. I'm trying to figure out what to give some girls as a gift."
Grey explained his problem.
"Ohhh—so because you had to break your promise while catching Colress, you're trying to patch things up with some small gifts."
Blue instantly nailed the core of it.
As Professor Oak's grandson, Blue actually had pretty good luck with women.
And his younger brother, Gary Oak, had inherited that too.
It was just that Blue was older now—more mature. Romance didn't matter much to him anymore.
Still.
As someone with experience, Blue felt confident he knew what he was doing.
Especially when it came to rich heiress types—he understood that kind of person better than anyone.
Even Red couldn't compare.
"A handmade bracelet won't really work. The materials here are cheap. Yeah, sure, it's the thought that counts—but you said she's a rich heiress. If you want it to feel worthy, you need materials that can actually stand on their own."
Blue led Grey up to the fourth floor.
This floor was dedicated to clothing and accessories.
"Is your designer still here?" Blue slapped a membership card down on the counter.
"Mr. Blue! It's been so long! I'll go get the designer right away!"
The clerk behind the counter lit up the moment she saw him.
If she weren't working, she probably would've asked for a photo on the spot.
Tap-tap-tap…
She rushed off.
Then rushed back.
Only this time, she brought two people.
One looked like they were from Kanto. The other was clearly from Unova.
The Unovan wore green from head to toe, tall and slender, with hair that looked like a many-legged centipede.
The moment Grey saw him—
"Mr. Blue, it's been a while," the designer said. "And this is a friend of mine from Unova. He happened to be here today."
The designer shifted aside, introducing the Unovan man to everyone.
"Yeah, but I'm not the one ordering a custom piece today," Blue said. "He is."
Blue's words turned every gaze to Grey.
"Gym Leader Burgh?"
"Gym Leader Grey?"
At first glance, they both spoke each other's names.
That's right—this stranger from Unova was Burgh, the Gym Leader of Castelia Gym.
"I didn't think Gym Leader Grey would know me," Burgh said, one hand pressed to his chest, visibly surprised. "That actually gets me a little excited."
After arriving in Kanto, he'd only learned Grey's name from his friend—he'd heard Kanto had a newly appointed Gym Leader.
But he hadn't expected Grey to know him too.
And not just know him—remember him well enough to say his name immediately.
"Of course. You're an artist, Burgh. I've heard about your work." Grey smiled. "Perfect timing, too. After the selection tournament for the Gym challenge wraps up next week, I'm heading to Unova. I'm hoping I can stop by Castelia City then."
He wasn't lying.
In Unova, Castelia City's status was like Saffron City's in Kanto.
A huge international metropolis.
It would also be Grey's first stop after landing.
He just didn't know whether he'd run into certain Pokemon there.
If he could meet Meloetta, that would be best.
A Pokemon with a Fighting type, the ability to change forms, and an adorable look.
It was easily near the top of the list of Pokemon Grey wanted to befriend.
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