Lapras—the template Pokémon that had successfully fused with the sandstorm—was a little confused. It didn't know what had happened, only that a powerful force had suddenly appeared within its body.
Then again, that was probably how everyone felt.
The little Lapras stopped thinking about it and turned its attention back to Sam.
In order to get closer to Lapras as quickly as possible, Sam had made plenty of preparations. He took out some delicious dried fish from his bag and walked toward Lapras in the pond with a gentle smile.
"Eat~ eat~"
Seeing Sam slowly approach, Lapras was still a little wary, but the tempting scent of dried fish quickly caught its attention.
While Lapras was still hesitating over whether to flee, Sam had already reached its side.
Holding the dried fish in his hand, Sam slowly extended it toward Lapras and said softly,
"Go on. Eat it. I'll be counting on you from now on, Lapras."
According to the Pokédex, Lapras has a gentle nature and can understand human speech.
Lapras seemed to sense Sam's sincerity. The fear in its eyes faded as it cautiously moved closer, stretched its neck, and swallowed the dried fish in Sam's hand.
"Eat~ eat~"
Perhaps the dried fish was simply too delicious. Lapras let out a cheerful cry and looked up at Sam expectantly.
Sam didn't immediately understand what it wanted and hurriedly fed it the rest of the dried fish one by one. As he fed it, the bond between him and Lapras quietly grew. By the time the dried fish was gone, Lapras no longer resisted when Sam gently patted its head.
The legendary "dried-fish diplomacy" was a complete success.
What was Celadon City most famous for?
If you asked any passerby on the street, they would proudly answer without hesitation—perfume.
Before arriving in Celadon City, Sam had already learned about perfumes in the Pokémon world. Unlike the perfumes from his previous life, which were mostly decorative, Pokémon perfumes could produce special effects.
It was said that high-quality perfume could make Pokémon feel relaxed and even strengthen the bond between Trainer and Pokémon.
Since he had finally arrived in Celadon City, there was no way Sam would miss the chance to go shopping at a perfume store.
Celadon City had many perfume shops, but Sam chose the largest one.
This shop was backed by Celadon Gym itself. The revenue from perfume sales alone was astronomical, bringing a massive amount of income to the Gym every year.
In this world, it was normal for Gyms to have side businesses. Maintaining a large Gym required a huge daily expense, and without additional income sources, even Gym Trainers would eventually struggle financially.
Of course, this wasn't something Erika needed to worry about. Besides being the Gym Leader of Celadon Gym, she was also the eldest daughter of the largest family in Celadon City. Even without the perfume business, it wouldn't affect her life in the slightest.
Rather than a money-making venture, the perfume shop was more like a personal hobby.
After a short bus ride, Sam arrived near Celadon Gym. The Gym's perfume shop stood right at the entrance, saving him a lot of trouble. After buying perfume, he could challenge the Gym without needing to go elsewhere.
Sam walked into the store as two beautiful attendants in cheongsams greeted him in unison,
"Welcome!"
After a brief look around, Sam noticed that there weren't many Trainers specifically choosing perfume for their Pokémon. Most customers were accompanying their girlfriends or spouses, helping them select perfume instead.
"Hello, may I help you?"
The flagship store of Celadon Gym stood out not only for its high-quality products, but also for its attentive service.
The attendant in front of Sam looked about the same age as him, wearing a professional smile.
Every staff member here had clearly been carefully selected—both in appearance and demeanor. Even someone as picky as Sam couldn't find anything to criticize.
"I want to buy some perfume for my Pokémon," Sam said. "Preferably something that can help strengthen the bond between Pokémon and Trainer."
The attendant's smile grew noticeably brighter upon hearing this.
"Sir, you have excellent taste. May I recommend our Celadon Gym specialty perfume?"
"Specialty perfume?" Sam asked. "Does it really help improve bonds with Pokémon?"
"Of course," the attendant replied confidently. "It contains a special nectar extracted from Gloom, which is extremely effective at enhancing the connection between Trainers and Pokémon."
After hearing the price, Sam felt a twinge of pain in his teeth.
It wasn't that he couldn't afford it—it was just expensive enough to make him bleed internally.
Under the attendant's polite farewell, Sam carefully carried seven bottles of perfume out of the shop.
All of them had been personally recommended as the most suitable options for Pokémon. Sam didn't want to favor one Pokémon over another, so he bought a bottle for each—even Clefairy from Vermilion City wasn't left out.
He had originally planned to challenge the Gym immediately, but carrying so many bags felt disrespectful to the Gym Leader. After some thought, Sam decided to return to the Pokémon Center first and challenge the Gym tomorrow instead.
Back at the Pokémon Center, Sam immediately summoned Lapras.
Perfume was meant to be used. He opened one of the bottles and lightly sprayed it over Lapras's body.
A soft rose fragrance filled the air, and Lapras couldn't help but look intoxicated by the scent.
"Eat~ eat~"
Sam could clearly feel its happiness from the sound of its cry.
Smiling, Sam gently touched its head.
"As long as you like it."
Next came the other Pokémon. Aside from Tyranitar, who was still sleeping, and Clefairy, who wasn't present, Sam sprayed each Pokémon with their own perfume. Before long, the room was filled with a blend of different fragrances.
There was a reason Celadon Gym's perfume was so popular. Even Scyther, who normally cared about nothing except battle, clearly expressed its fondness for the scent.
Looking at the happy expressions of the Pokémon around him, Sam felt deeply satisfied.
The money was absolutely worth it.
---------------Author---------------
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