Flannery and I step off the ramp of the S.S. Anne and into the flowing traffic of passengers as they make their way towards Celadon City. The colorful clothing and odd outfits are a big change from the colors of flesh that I had been getting used to. Before the ship docked, an announcement went out that informed the passengers that we were approaching the city and clothes were again required. The trip aboard the Anne was an eye-opening experience for me, with the casual nudity and openness of everyone being a stark change from what I remembered from the games. Then again, the games were made for kids… I think.
The whole idea that my memories could be the result of a Pokemon's prank still seems Farfetch'd to me. I remember that a few Pokedex entries from the games allude to the dark history of Pokemon behaviour, a particular story about Typhlosion comes to mind, so maybe I am being affected by some Pokemon that isn't the Alpaca God. There is still a lot that isn't known about this world.
While I muse about my current state, I hear a call coming from behind. Turning to look, I see Bea and Green walking towards us. After we had split to go to our rooms, I had not seen the two of them the entire time. The ship is rather large, and there was a lot to do, so I wasn't too worried about them; however, I do note that they are walking rather closely together. As they catch up to us, I notice they are holding hands, causing me to raise an eyebrow at them. Green smiles like a Persian that caught a Pidgy, while Bea just gives me a shy smile.
"I see that someone had a good time on the cruise," I tease lightly as they join us.
"Heh, yeah… The two of us just kinda kicked y'know?" Bea laughs as she runs her fingers through her hair in embarrassment.
Green lifts her tablet with her unoccupied hand and somehow writes on it before flipping it towards me with a sultry smile. "She is a fun fuck."
"That she is!" Flannery giggles after reading the message. "Would you believe that her first time was a threesome with us?"
"Flannery!" I admonish with a slight quirk of my lips, "You know better than to kiss and tell!" She sticks her tongue out at me playfully.
"That is enough out of the three of you!" Bea squeaks at us as she starts to turn red all the way to her ears. The three of us just smile at her, but it is Green who delivers the cu-de-grace.
"Thats not what you said during our orgy." Bea just lets out a sound that could have easily been a dog whistle.
"Oh, we totally need the deets on this," Flannery chimed in. "It sounds like your trip was much more interesting than ours."
*~*~*~*
The four of us continued to chat and catch up as we headed off the pier and into the city proper. The view of the city so far has been blocked by lush trees that dance in the cool seabreeze coming from the water. That, however, quickly changes as we reach the end of the pier and go around a corner.
It's like walking through an invisible barrier; the ever-present scent of brine and marine life that accompanies large bodies of water suddenly transforms into the sweet scent of flowers and nature. It's not overpowering in the slightest; it is actually calming instead. The first thing my eyes notice is the massive field of flowers lining the path. It's like the lavender fields of Japan or the tulip farms of Amsterdam, with wide swaths of colorful flowers going nearly as far as the eye can see. Among the flowers, I can see a number of grass-type Pokemon relaxing in the sun.
In a few steps, our path transforms from the concrete of the pier to plush grass that absorbs the sound of our footsteps. It is almost like walking on a bed, and the lack of foot falls seems to lower the volume of the other passengers as we walk, allowing us to enjoy the nature around us. Along the edge of the path, I notice a smattering of Oddish sunning themselves as Flabebe dance among the flowers behind them. It feels odd that we haven't been able to see the city though as the path meanders through the flower fields. It takes a good ten minutes of walking, causing the crowd to separate into much smaller groups, before the scenery starts to change once more. Coming around another bend in the path, the treeline breaks once more and the city proper comes into view.
At first, I wondered if we had stepped into another world, as the 'city' is unlike anything I had seen before. Unlike the stone and glass of Pewter, the curvy stucco of Cerulean, or the steampunk fantasy of Vermillion, Celadon seems to be straight out of a storybook. The buildings were not built but grown from the trees coaxed into hollowed trunks with flowering balconies. The deep green and amber vines, knotted into windows, doors, and even signs. The grass paths wound between each building, and the scent of honey and blossoming flowers filled the air with a general sense of life.
"This place is amazing," I whisper as the four of us pause to stare at the sight before us. "Why have I not heard of this before?"
"This is my first time in Kanto, and we have something like this in Hoenn," Flannery mentions with a shrug.
"Same for me and Galar," Bea says and Green just shrugs as well.
"Still, I have lived in Pallet my whole life! You would think that I would have at least heard about this!" I exclaim as I throw my arms out. "There was nothing online, and no one even mentioned it in passing besides that it was on the gym circuit!"
"Maybe we could ask a local? Maybe a Joy? They would most likely know."
"I guess she would probably be the best choice. I could also call grandpa…" I sigh.
"Let's ask Joy first. If she doesn't have an answer, the professor should." Bea says as she starts walking. Green follows beside her looking around at the city with a look of curiosity covering her face. I grab Flannery's hand and follow after our friends and into this odd yet peaceful place.
The four of us slowly make our way along the path, enjoying the uniqueness of it. I cannot help but notice the odd differences. For one, the common color of the city isn't green or cerulean but rather brown and amber. This stems from the fact that every building, threshold, window, balcony, or sign is made from a living tree or vine. There also seems to be a lack of window panes or doors in any of the buildings; instead, there are fabric curtains fluttering in the breeze or portières, beaded curtains, separating the outside from inside. I also notice a number of brooks or creeks, filled with crystal clear water, running between the buildings and along the walkways.
The biggest change I see that is different from any other city is the sheer amount of Pokemon around. No matter where you look, there are at least four Pokemon, either relaxing in the sun, walking along the path, or just playing with each other. It is almost like Grandpa's ranch back in Pallet, except that every Pokemon here is either a grass or a fairy-type Pokemon. Pokemon in this city seem to outnumber the number of people, yet the place doesn't feel overcrowded.
Luckily, it seems as though the city is smaller than Vermillion or Celadon, as it seemingly takes us only a couple of minutes to approach the Pokecenter with its normal bright red roof. In place of the standard tile, the roof of the building seems to be made from a type of tree leaf with a crimson hue as it grows from the Pokecenter's tree. The building itself actually towers over all the other buildings, which are only a story or two tall, which made it much easier to locate.
The four of us pass through the large threshold and step inside, only to pause at the scene inside. Normally, a Pokecenter has the feel of a small doctor's office or that of a school nurse. Here, though, it feels like a cozy cafe as the lobby curves gently, shaped by the natural bend of the trunk. Soft light filters through the curtains, giving the space a warm ambience. Vines with broad leaves drape along the walls, giving the area a homely feel.
Instead of normal tiled floors, the floor shows the concentric growth rings of the tree, polished to a near mirror-like state, from which the front desk rises as if grown from the polished wood floor. Behind the desk, Nurse Joy is speaking with a pair of trainers, who seem slightly older than myself. My eyes linger on Nurse Joy for a moment as she steps away from the desk, and I can see what she is wearing. Instead of the cherry blossom pink scrubs that I have come to associate with the Joys, this Joy is wearing a nearly transparent leotard that leaves nothing to the imagination. My gaze finally breaks away as she disappears through the doorway behind the counter. I finish looking around the lobby and spot a gently spiraling ramp circling around the area as it leads to the upper levels where our rooms would be located.
"So…" I start, breaking the stunned silence that we seemed to have fallen into, "how do we want to handle rooms this time?"
"I figured that we would share rooms like we have been?" Flannery asks as she looks at me while tilting her head.
"I mean, I don't mind if we keep sharing a room… but I have been slacking on my personal training."
"How so? You didn't seem to have much of an issue with Surge?"
"Not my Pokemon… but my own. For the past month or so, I haven't really gotten a chance to train my aura as my nights have been rather occupied~"
"Hey! You enjoyed it just as much as I!" Flannery responds with a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"That I did," I answer with a smug smile. "Yet neither of us have progressed. Things are just gonna get tougher as we go, and we should take the chance to get stronger safely."
"Fine…" She sighs and lets her shoulder slump slightly. "Separate rooms then?"
"We can still share a room… just not get distracted."
Flannery gives me a tight hug in response and drags me towards the now-empty Joy station. Before I can do much more than glance at the see-through latex outfit that Nurse Joy is currently sporting, my spicy lover drags me off towards the ramp and up to another level. I am dragged up the ramp until we reach the third(forth?) floor which opens to a large open area, with about fifteen or so rooms along the wall. Every door has a beaded curtain on it, giving the barest sense of privacy as it doesn't block the view into the room itself. The rooms all point to a large communal area with a bathing area in the very center where I spot a few trainers relaxing in the hot waters and just chatting with each other.
A few of the other trainers lounging around the bath give us a friendly wave as we pass by. Flannery lightly pushes me through the bead curtain and into our shared room. The room is in the same style as the lobby, with everything seemingly being made from a single block of wood, but I notice that there are the normal conveniences that we are used to such as a TV and washer for clothes. The bed itself is larger than normal, as it is meant for two people plus Pokemon to share. I take a moment to see if my lover is going to do anything else before I grab Skadi's pokeball and release her.