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Ethan wasn't an expert on perfumes, but he knew that listening to a professional was the best way to avoid making a mistake. Erika took out a sample of the perfume she recommended for Sabrina, rolled up her sleeve, and sprayed a small amount on her wrist.
"Here, smell it. Doesn't it have a lovely scent?"
Ethan glanced at her fair, smooth arm, leaned in, and sure enough, he smelled a pleasant, clean, and not-too-overpowering fragrance. Besides the perfume, there was also a girl's scent that made his heart race. This fragrance was different from Sabrina's, which subtly highlighted the contrasting personalities of the two girls.
Ethan cleared his throat. "Alright, I'll take these four perfumes. Please wrap them up for me."
After paying and saying goodbye to Erika, Ethan left the perfume shop. He wanted to contact Handsome, but his phone call wouldn't go through. Strange, didn't he say he wanted to meet up when I got to Celadon City? But remembering his mysterious identity, Ethan didn't give it much thought. Perhaps he was on a mission.
And as the Gym Leader, since Erika was currently at the perfume shop, going to the Celadon Gym would be pointless; he couldn't challenge her. After a moment of thought, Ethan turned and headed for the Celadon Game Corner. Since he had nothing else to do, he might as well pass the time there.
The Celadon Game Corner was in the southeastern part of the city. When Ethan saw it with his own eyes, he realized it was much larger than it was in the game. It had not only a hotel and a restaurant but also a movie theater and several nightclubs! The Game Corner was bustling with people coming and going. There were not only groups of young people but also many middle-aged individuals. Inside, there was a wide variety of attractions, including claw machines, video games, slot machines, dancing machines, balloon guns, and pachinko. It was a very lively scene.
At the counter, he bought a dozen game coins. As he was about to walk to the claw machine, a nearby stall caught his eye. The stall's owner was just an ordinary man, but the items he sold were rows of Pokémon masks in different styles.
"Excuse me, sir, how much is that mask?"
Ethan pointed to a half-mask of Gengar. The upper half of the mask was an exact replica of Gengar's deep purple face, able to cover most of the wearer's face. The lower half was missing a piece, leaving the wearer's mouth exposed.
"You have a good eye, my friend," the owner said. "That mask is my star product. It's not only very sturdy, but the eyeholes are made of glass, so your vision won't be obstructed at all! It normally sells for 300 yen, but for today's special, I'll let you have it for 250 yen."
"That number…" Ethan frowned, bargaining, "How about 100 yen?"
"You're quite a joker, aren't you? 250 is already a bargain," the owner said with a sincere expression, seemingly unwilling to budge. Ethan shook his head slightly and, using his familiar trick, turned to walk away. Seeing this, the owner quickly darted forward and pulled him back.
"Alright, alright! I feel a connection with you. How about you add a little more? I'll sell it to you for 150 yen!"
Ethan inwardly chuckled. This trick worked every time. His face, however, remained impassive. He only pulled out a 100-yen bill. Seeing this, the owner sighed but quickly took the money and handed the mask to Ethan. His speed was so quick that it made Ethan wonder if even 100 yen was too much to pay.
After leaving the stall, Ethan put the Gengar mask in his backpack, storing it safely. Ever since he revealed Zapdos at Silph Co., Ethan could tell that showing his true face would easily lead to unnecessary trouble. This mask, though simple, could effectively disguise him and greatly reduce his chances of being exposed.
He took out his game coins and put one in the claw machine. Just as he was concentrating, a few pairs of eyes outside the Game Corner fixed on him.
"Hey, hey, are we really going to attack him?" James asked softly from inside a phone booth. Beside him were, of course, the inseparable Jessie and Meowth.
"Of course we are! It's the boss's orders," Jessie nodded. "And we deliberately abandoned that brat and his Pikachu and rushed back to Celadon City for this very person!"
"But…" James hesitated. "He's a really good person. Didn't he help us escape the sinking ship? Wouldn't this make us ungrateful?"
"Idiot! We're the bad guys! How can you say things like that!" Meowth jumped up and harshly scratched James's face.
"Wah! My face!" James cried out in pain but quickly got back up. "But the place he's at right now is the entrance to our secret base! Should we really act here?"
"Of course we can't act here!" As the true leader of the trio, Jessie made the decision. "We'll wait until he leaves the Game Corner, then find an opportunity to strike!"
After having fun in the Game Corner, Ethan, with his two prize dolls, was about to leave when he suddenly received a message. The message was from Handsome. It only contained a location pin and not a single word.
What does this mean? Are we supposed to meet there?
Feeling a sense of caution, Ethan followed the pin, walking towards the edge of the city until he reached a few warehouses next to a freight train station. It was quiet there. Not a single person was in sight. There was no sound other than the occasional passing of a freight train.
"Haunter, go scout the area. Kirlia, stay alert."
Ethan quietly gave the order, then put the mask he had just bought on his face. I can't believe I just bought this mask, and it's already coming in handy so soon!
It wasn't long before Haunter returned, shaking its head.
"There's no ambush here, but there's a person who's been seriously injured in the warehouse up ahead!"
A seriously injured person?
Ethan was surprised. Knowing that Haunter had never met Handsome and wouldn't know what he looked like, he nodded and, following Haunter's lead, quickly arrived in front of a damaged warehouse. The warehouse door was broken and ajar. What surprised him was a pool of blood that started from outside the door and led into the warehouse. The blood was conspicuously dark, its strong metallic smell seemingly telling a story of its own.
Ethan, with his Gengar mask on and his team on high alert, has just received a cryptic message from Handsome. He followed the location to a remote warehouse, where he and Haunter have discovered a seriously injured person inside. The blood trail leading into the warehouse suggests a violent confrontation.
Is the injured person Handsome? How did he get into this state, and what happened here? Ethan's quick thinking and disguise are about to be put to the test again as he enters the warehouse to investigate.
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if you want more updates == supports with power stones
Every 10 Power Stones==Bonus Chapter