I'm the Owner of the Pokémon Day Care In the World of Pokémon Chapter 1192: Encounter at the Perfume Shop

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and there was still no word from Windy, who had gone to Kanto. No calls, no ssages—Yuga couldn't help but feel a little worried.

Just then, the League called to say that Professor Oak and his team had made so progress in their research on the boulder fragnts and wanted to invite representatives from the various League branches to check it out, with the event to be held in Kanto.

Curious about what they'd discovered from the boulder fragnts and wanting to check on Windy's situation, Yuga volunteered to represent Hoenn for this visit.

Since it was rare for Yuga to actively request a task, the Hoenn League had no reason to refuse, and so Yuga boarded a plane bound for Kanto.

The research showcase on the boulder fragnts was set to be held at Professor Oak's lab in Pallet Town, but since Pallet Town doesn't have an airport, Yuga first landed in Celadon City.

Since there were still two days before the event, Yuga wasn't in a hurry to get to Pallet Town and decided to stay in Celadon City for now.

Pallet Town is quite unique; unlike other small towns, it rarely sees outsiders aside from the local residents. There aren't any inns, restaurants, or hotels there, so arriving early would an nowhere to stay. Better to wait in a nearby city.

Celadon City is one of the largest cities in Kanto, second only to the bustling tropolis of Saffron City. This wasn't Yuga's first ti here, and he still had a strong impression of the place.

After leaving the airport, Yuga headed straight for the direction of the Pokémon Center. Passing by a perfu shop, he noticed they were having a promotion and couldn't help but take a second look.

That second glance was enough to get him pulled into the shop by several enthusiastic female sales clerks who suddenly appeared from inside.

"Dear custor, co take a look! Our perfus suit all kinds of people. Whether you're buying it for yourself or as a gift for a girlfriend, it's perfect!" one of the sales clerks said enthusiastically, introducing Yuga to various perfus.

Yuga was a little startled by the sudden crowd of pretty clerks around him. He almost thought he'd wandered into so dubious establishnt selling questionable goods!

A girlfriend? Like he'd have one!

Sotis, Yuga would wonder about the fact that his lifespan was clearly longer than most people's. If he lived to be as old as his master, while his partner could only live to about sixty or seventy, wouldn't that an only half his lifespan?

Different lifespans, different aging rates—was it even right for him to seek a partner? Imagine if he still looked like a young man while his partner had aged into an old woman. Just thinking about it was terrifying! No wonder his master had remained alone all these years; living a long life ca with its own set of troubles!

But shock aside, Yuga still seriously considered the perfus the sales clerks recomnded.

Celadon's perfus are quite famous. Even though Yuga doesn't use much himself, he'd still heard of their reputation.

If the perfu here was really good, he could buy so as gifts. His Aunt, Misaki, Lain, Suzuki Koen... they all used perfu. With so many won at ho, it was bound to be well received.

Everyone's busy with work, so buying a few gifts for them could also serve as a form of employee welfare.

According to the sales clerks, their perfus are made from all-natural ingredients, with so even having special effects like aiding sleep or calming the mind.

"Look at this, dear custor; this is a classic n's fragrance, very popular in our shop. It's worth every penny and can even be a collector's item!" the sales clerk continued, enthusiastically introducing the perfu to Yuga.

Yuga glanced at the price tag—wow, 30,000 for a small bottle! Was there gold mixed into it?

He sniffed it and found it indeed fresh and pleasant. You get what you pay for; while he didn't know much about perfu, he had basic judgnt skills. It was indeed quality stuff.

"Do you have a won's version of this?" Yuga asked.

"Yes, we do! Just a mont, please!" The clerk, beaming, took a similar bottle from behind the display case.

Yuga tried the won's version and was equally satisfied, so he said to the clerk, "I'll take one bottle of each fragrance for both of these."

"Of course, sir! I'll get them for you right away!"

The sales clerk's smile practically sparkled. It had been a while since they'd seen such a generous custor. Each of the two types of perfu had ten different scents—Yuga's order amounted to 600,000 in total. What a high roller!

Yuga didn't mind spending so much money all at once. Though he'd bought gifts for everyone on previous trips, those were usually small expenses; it wasn't often he'd splurge like this.

"Is that...?"

As Yuga waited for the clerk to wrap up the perfus, he suddenly heard a voice from the side. Turning his head instinctively, he saw a woman dressed in a green kimono looking at him.

"It really is you, Shimizu Yuga... no, Gym Leader Shimizu," the woman said, smiling with delight as she looked at him.

"Ms. Erika?" Yuga said in surprise. Naturally, he recognized the Gym Leader of Celadon City. When he entered the store, there was even a standee of Erika by the door.

"Yes, it's ! I didn't expect to run into Gym Leader Shimizu here," Erika said excitedly. "Are you here to buy perfu?"

As a fellow Grass-type Gym Leader, Erika had long admired the renowned Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town.

Yuga nodded, saying, "That's right. Are you here to buy so too, Ms. Erika?"

Erika chuckled and replied, "This perfu shop is actually mine! I ca by today to check on things, and I didn't expect to et you here."

It dawned on Yuga then—he had assud that Erika's standee was just a promotional gimmick by the store. After all, Erika was a famous perfu expert; he hadn't expected her to be the owner herself.

"Sir, here's your perfu, all packed up!" The sales clerk returned with an elegantly packaged bag. Upon seeing Erika, she exclaid, "Gym Leader, you're here!"

The sales clerk wasn't just an employee of the perfu shop but also a trainee at the Celadon Gym.

Erika nodded at her Gym apprentice and glanced at the perfus Yuga had bought, her expression thoughtful.

"Where should I pay?" Yuga asked, picking up the bag from the counter.

The sales clerk was about to answer when Erika suddenly interjected, "Gym Leader Shimizu, there's no need to pay. Consider these perfus a gift from . However, I'd like to have a friendly match with you."

Hearing her own Gym Leader address him as "Gym Leader," the sales clerk was montarily stunned, but she wisely remained silent.

Yuga thought for a mont and replied, "A friendly match is fine, but there's no need for a gift." It wasn't as though he couldn't afford the perfus, and he didn't see a need to take advantage. If Erika had offered him a Pokémon, he might not have declined.

Since Yuga was insistent on paying, Erika didn't press the matter.

After paying, Yuga turned to Erika and asked, "Where shall we have our match?"

"Follow , Gym Leader Shimizu," Erika said, leading Yuga toward the back of the perfu shop.

Before leaving, Yuga left his perfus at the shop, planning to collect them after the match.

It wasn't until he reached the back of the store that he realized this was actually the Celadon Gym.

To make it easier to manage her perfu business, Erika had set up the Celadon Gym right behind the shop. All of the shop employees were also Gym staff.

Standing across from Erika on the battle grounds of the Celadon Gym, Yuga readied himself.

"The match will be a two-on-two double battle. The side that loses both Pokémon first will be declared the loser," the referee announced loudly. "Now, both sides, please send out your Pokémon!"

At the referee's call, Yuga and Erika released their Pokémon simultaneously: Yuga sent out Serperior and Sawsbuck, while Erika sent out Venusaur and Vileplu.

Just like Serperior and Sawsbuck, Venusaur and Vileplu were also Elite-level Pokémon.

Despite Erika's gentle and graceful deanor, she is actually a renowned Elite Trainer, ranked 88th in the League Headquarters' Elite standings. Her reputation in the Kanto region is well established.

Although she only recently made it onto the rankings, reaching 88th place so quickly is quite an achievent.

Erika's fa isn't solely due to her status as a perfu master and Celadon City's Gym Leader, but also her exceptional strength at such a young age.

Erika is a bit older than Yuga, about the sa age as Steven and Wallace. While her innate talent as a Trainer may not be on par with top-tier prodigies like Steven or Cynthia, she's certainly on the sa level as Robert.

Erika's ntor, the forr Gym Leader of the Celadon Gym, was also the previous Grass-type Elite Four of the Kanto League. Though she passed away many years ago, her legacy holds great respect in the region.

"Begin the match!"

With the referee's call, both sides' Pokémon launched their attacks simultaneously.

After the battle started, Erika's deanor changed; her aura sharpened intensely, as if she had transford into a battle-hardened warrior. Yuga had never encountered such a fierce and battle-ready Grass-type Trainer.

Venusaur's thick vines and Vileplu's Sludge Bomb attacked Sawsbuck and Serperior respectively.

Since Sawsbuck frequently sparred with Yuga's own Venusaur, it knew exactly how to handle the situation.

Leaping into the air with impressive agility, Sawsbuck soared high and kicked away Venusaur's vine with a Jump Kick, landing precisely in front of it.

anwhile, Serperior used its Leaf Storm to disperse Vileplu's Sludge Bomb. Seeing that Sawsbuck's gahorn was about to strike Venusaur, Vileplu dashed forward to block it.

Erika's Vileplu had the hidden ability Effect Spore. The mont Sawsbuck touched Vileplu, it fell asleep under the influence of Spore.

Vileplu let out a painful cry as it was knocked back, but Venusaur quickly extended two vines—one to catch the flying Vileplu, and the other to grab Sawsbuck by the leg, swinging it hard towards Serperior.

Serperior, also proficient with Vine Whip, caught Sawsbuck, spun it around in midair to reduce the impact, and gently set the sleeping Sawsbuck down beside it.

Venusaur and the injured Vileplu were about to press their advantage when Serperior unleashed Glare, freezing them in their tracks. Once they snapped out of their shock, both Venusaur and Vileplu realized they had been paralyzed.

With Erika's side now at a disadvantage due to the paralysis, Serperior and the recovered Sawsbuck imdiately launched an offensive against the immobilized Venusaur and Vileplu. Serperior used its signature move, Leaf Storm, while Sawsbuck attacked with Seed Bomb.

Sawsbuck, wary of Vileplu's Effect Spore ability, avoided close combat this ti.

A whirlwind of green leaves roared toward Venusaur and Vileplu, and Erika quickly shouted, "Venusaur, Vileplu, use Protect!"

Though Erika's command carried an elent of risk, it paid off. Vileplu failed to activate Protect, but Venusaur succeeded just in ti.

Unfortunately, while Protect blocked Serperior's Leaf Storm, it couldn't withstand the Seed Bomb that followed closely behind. Vileplu bore the brunt of the attack and was imdiately knocked out of the battle.

Vileplu had already taken a gahorn attack from Sawsbuck earlier, and now with a Seed Bomb, it couldn't hold on any longer.

However, just before it fell, Vileplu managed to cast Sunny Day, causing the weather to beco intensely hot.

Under sunny conditions, Venusaur could use Solar Beam without charging. A golden beam shot directly towards Sawsbuck and Serperior under Venusaur's control.

It must be said that Erika's Venusaur was quite lucky, managing to use moves successfully even in its paralyzed state.

By this point, Serperior had already amplified its Special Attack significantly with two rounds of Leaf Storm and its Contrary ability, raising its power dramatically. When Serperior's Leaf Storm clashed with Venusaur's Solar Beam, it quickly overpowered the Solar Beam.

anwhile, Sawsbuck had sohow slipped behind Venusaur.

Vileplu's Sunny Day didn't just benefit Venusaur—it also worked in Sawsbuck's favor. Sawsbuck's ability, Chlorophyll, doubled its speed in sunny weather.

Erika tried to warn Venusaur to be cautious, but before it could react, Sawsbuck's gahorn landed squarely on its rear, causing Venusaur to howl in pain.

Being sturdier than Vileplu, Venusaur could endure the gahorn without losing its ability to fight.

It seed that Sawsbuck's horn had hit a particularly sensitive spot, because Venusaur, overwheld by pain, began flailing its vines wildly. Sawsbuck, the closest target, was sent flying from the strike.

Judging by Venusaur's reaction, it must have been truly excruciating!

Just as Sawsbuck was knocked away, Serperior's Dragon Pulse ca charging in. This ti, it refrained from using Leaf Storm, knowing that Grass-type moves are resisted by Grass-type Pokémon.

Boom!

The enraged Venusaur was struck, its head tilted to the side, and it lost consciousness.

"Gym Leader Shimizu, you're truly impressive! I still have so much to learn!"

Despite her loss, Erika wasn't disheartened at all. Instead, she eagerly pulled Yuga aside to discuss Grass-type Pokémon training techniques.

Yuga was equally interested in Erika's expertise, and the two exchanged insights for a long ti, both gaining valuable knowledge.

As the disciple of the forr Grass-type Elite Four, Erika had much to teach Yuga, allowing him to verify and expand upon the knowledge passed down from his own ntor.

Seeing it was getting late, Yuga said his farewells. Just before he left, Erika said, "I heard from the League that your Verdanturf Town will be hosting a grand event for Grass-type Trainers. I'll definitely be there!"