Capítulo 1203: Stylish Ninetales
That evening, Yuga told Gary about Ninetales' decision to follow him. Gary was thrilled upon hearing this, as he could freely study Ninetales while traveling with Yuga.
An eight-hundred-year-old Ninetales was extraordinarily rare, and it likely had many secrets yet to be discovered. As a researcher, Gary was not about to pass up such a unique opportunity.
The next morning, Yuga and Gary set out on their journey back to Pallet Town.
On the way, they stopped by Ninetales' old lair. Ninetales summoned the rulers of the forest to inform them that it would soon be leaving to explore the outside world and urged them to continue maintaining order in the forest.
The forest rulers were very obedient to Ninetales. After all, it was thanks to the top-grade evolution stones Ninetales had provided that they had reached their current state. Though reluctant to part with Ninetales, they dutifully promised to uphold its wishes.
As for the treasures, Yuga and Gary couldn't transport them all in one trip, so they decided to return to Pallet Town first and arrange to have them moved later.
A few days later, Yuga and Gary returned safely to Pallet Town. Ninetales, who hadn't been recalled to its Master Ball, simply followed them back outside.
To Ninetales, the Master Ball was too confining, even less comfortable than a regular Poké Ball, so it usually preferred not to enter it.
Yuga wasn't planning to replace its ball with a regular Poké Ball yet, as he still didn't fully trust Ninetales. Without the Master Ball's restraint, there was no guarantee Ninetales would remain as obedient.
Upon their smooth arrival in Pallet Town, the happiest one by far was Professor Oak. Mew's fur, the long-lived Ninetales, and the Time Flower sample—each of these fascinated him.
During Yuga's absence, Windy got along splendidly with Professor Oak's assistants at the lab, even to the point of not wanting to leave. This meant Yuga had nothing to worry about.
Despite being a homebody, Windy had some mild social anxiety, yet during his time at the lab, he and Porygon2 learned many new things, significantly increasing their work efficiency.
In the field of networking, Windy truly was a bona fide genius.
Once Gary and Yuga informed Professor Oak about the treasure, he arranged for some helpers and a flying transport. Yuga then led the way back to Ninetales' lair to retrieve all the treasure.
Gary didn't participate in the treasure recovery because he was completely absorbed in studying Mew's fur and didn't want to leave the lab at all.
Once the treasure was back, Yuga and the team separated the valuables—gold, silver, jewelry, antique jade, and the resources for raising Pokémon.
Professor Oak planned to have the valuables appraised and handled, with the proceeds split equally between Yuga and Gary.
As for the resources, they divided them on the spot.
After the resource division, Yuga decided to visit the nearest city to Pallet Town—Viridian City—and hire Pidgey Express to send the items back to Verdanturf Town.
It was easy to find Pidgey Express in Viridian City. Yuga simply asked someone on the street, and they directed him right to the place.
Since he had too many items to transport by himself, he requested on-site service from Pidgey Express. After explaining the situation to the staff, he left Professor Oak's lab address and contact information.
After completing all this, Yuga called for Ninetales and walked out of the Pidgey Express office.
It had been a long time since Ninetales had visited the human world. With how much the outside world had changed, it felt entirely out of sync with society.
As Ninetales observed all the new and intriguing things on the street, it kept a calm appearance but was actually glancing around curiously, eyeing various objects with interest. However, it didn't dare ask Yuga about them, fearing he'd tease it for being out of touch.
With its elegant appearance, Ninetales was even more beautiful than most of its kind, so it drew many stares along the way. Some people even approached Yuga, challenging him to a battle.
Ninetales, however, was uninterested. Given its age, it could easily be considered a "grandmother" among Ninetales, and it had no intention of stooping to engage with these young ones.
Many people walked their Pokémon around town, but none made as much of an impression as Yuga and Ninetales. Feeling quite pleased with itself, Ninetales said to Yuga, "See? You've got so much prestige just walking around with me!"
Yuga looked at it with a half-smile. "So?"
Ninetales perked up at this. "So, aren't you going to thank me? I mean, it's not like I care, but if you insist on showing gratitude, I wouldn't mind. That flower over there, for instance, might be a suitable gesture."
Yuga followed Ninetales' gaze to a clothing shop. In the display window, a mannequin dressed in a kimono wore a striking floral headpiece.
"You like that?" Yuga asked in surprise. "You're a Pokémon!"
Ninetales mumbled, "It's not that I particularly like it, I just think it suits me." Then, feigning indifference, it turned its head away.
Yuga glanced at it and casually replied, "Oh, well, if you don't like it, let's move along."
"Wait…" Ninetales hesitated, torn between following Yuga and keeping its eyes on the shop window.
Knowing not to tease it too much, Yuga turned and said, "Fine, I'll buy it for you. It's not like it costs that much."
A glimmer of joy flashed in Ninetales' eyes before it quickly returned to its usual composed expression.
The shop Ninetales had chosen specialized in kimonos and related accessories, so when Yuga entered with Ninetales, they were immediately welcomed warmly by the sales staff.
When Yuga mentioned buying something for Ninetales, the sales staff weren't surprised at all. It turned out this shop catered to Pokémon as well, and it was common for Pokémon to come in for clothing and accessories.
As soon as Ninetales stepped into the store, it was dazzled by the variety of garments and accessories. Back when its previous owner was alive, they would often dress it up, but the accessories back then couldn't achieve the same level of elegance and glamour as today.
Although Yuga knew that Ninetales' former owner was a notorious pirate, he didn't realize that this pirate had been a woman.
She hadn't started out as a pirate, though. Originally, she was the daughter of a tailor, but her beauty attracted the attention of a wealthy local man. Refusing to be with him, she watched helplessly as he murdered her parents.
Afterward, she fled to the sea and joined a pirate crew, eventually marrying the captain. When he passed away, she naturally took over his influence, rising to fame on the high seas, and soon avenged her parents by eliminating her enemies.
In the Pokémon world, ancient gender bias wasn't as severe as in Yuga's past life, thanks to the presence of Pokémon. Regardless of gender, anyone with ability could rise to prominence.
When the pirate retired, she became a humble tailor in her father's old trade, and Ninetales served as her model.
Thus, influenced by its former owner, Ninetales, though quite old, still had a youthful heart! Enchanted by the beautiful accessories, it wanted everything it saw. Although it didn't explicitly say so, its gaze made its desires clear.
Yuga thought, Well, since I just made some money off of it, I might as well spend a bit.
So he bought everything Ninetales liked, leaving it beaming with joy.
The store's staff were experts in styling, with some assisting customers in choosing clothing and accessories, while others did the same for Pokémon.
One of the staff helped place the floral ornament Ninetales initially admired on its head.
Originally designed for humans, the flower wasn't easy for Ninetales to wear, but since Yuga was spending generously, the designer and tailor came out to make adjustments.
In addition to the flower, Ninetales was adorned with accessories on its paws, neck, and back.
The staff were truly professional—the ensemble looked fantastic, reminding Yuga of the dazzlingly dressed performance Pokémon he'd seen in the Pokémon Showcase competitions in Kalos.
Unfortunately, these items were only decorative, becoming cumbersome in battle.
But since Ninetales enjoyed it, Yuga didn't dampen its enthusiasm. He hoped to win its favor enough to keep it by his side permanently.
Once dressed up, Ninetales strutted proudly in front of the mirror. It truly did attract attention, especially with its nine silky, ribbon-like tails.
Watching the pleased Ninetales in the mirror, Yuga shook his head helplessly. Raising Pokémon required more than just training; sometimes it meant indulging their lifestyle needs as well.
Just then, a lavishly dressed noblewoman approached with her own Ninetales. Upon seeing Yuga's Ninetales, she exclaimed, "Oh my, how did you raise such a beautiful Ninetales? If mine looked half as good, I'd be thrilled."
Yuga looked over to see the noblewoman's Ninetales clawing at her skirt with a disgruntled expression. Unfazed, the noblewoman smiled apologetically and said, "Just kidding, just kidding! To me, you're always the prettiest. Let's go get you groomed, and you'll be just as stunning in no time."
Only then did her Ninetales relent, taking the opportunity to shoot a glare at Yuga's Ninetales. Yuga's Ninetales, however, didn't deign to respond, dismissing it altogether.
It was true that the noblewoman's Ninetales couldn't compare to Yuga's. Not only was its elegance lacking, but in every aspect—from posture and fur luster to behavior—it was inferior to Yuga's Ninetales.
The noblewoman, naturally sociable, asked Yuga, "You must have taken your Ninetales to a beauty salon for such beautiful grooming, right? I knew this was the right place."
"Beauty Salon?" Yuga asked, a bit puzzled, while Ninetales couldn't resist perking up its ears.
"Yes, the beauty salon here is very famous. I heard about it from a friend…" The noblewoman, clearly intrigued by Yuga's good looks, began chatting away.
Before leaving, she even tossed Yuga a flirty wink, clearly pleased with herself.
"That beauty salon sounds amazing. Let's go check it out," Ninetales suggested after the noblewoman left.
Ninetales was quite intrigued by this beauty salon. Could it truly make that dull creature as beautiful as her? Ninetales was skeptical.
Yuga looked at it and said, "Aren't you generous! You just cost me a fortune, but it's not your money, so you don't feel it, do you?"
Ninetales huffed, "I've already 'sold myself' to you, so why shouldn't you spend a little on me? Don't you think I'm worth it? Fine, I'll follow your commands from now on."
Yuga's eyes lit up at that. Was it possible to buy a Pokémon's favor with money? Worth every penny! Any problem money could solve was no real problem.
"You said it! No going back on your word!" Yuga feigned reluctance.
"Yeah, yeah! Stop nagging," Ninetales grumbled impatiently.
And so, Yuga left the store with his elegantly dressed Ninetales. Although its appearance was a bit extravagant, it wasn't uncommon for Pokémon to be dressed like this in public, so it didn't attract excessive attention.
Actually, Yuga had suggested in the store that Ninetales remove the accessories while they were out and wear them at home, but Ninetales refused. Wearing these in private wouldn't be any fun—it was the joy of being seen.
Thankfully, the designs allowed for regular movement, or Yuga wouldn't have agreed to let it go out like this.
Just as the noblewoman had said, the beauty salon in Viridian City was indeed very well-known, and Yuga quickly located it after asking around.
But because of its popularity, the slots were already filled when Yuga and Ninetales arrived. Outside, the garden was packed with customers and their Pokémon waiting to be seen.
Upon reaching the beauty salon, Ninetales' extravagant look no longer stood out; there were even more flamboyantly adorned Pokémon everywhere.
"You see? It's not that I'm unwilling to spend, but this place is packed!" Yuga explained, shrugging.
Ninetales knew it wasn't Yuga's fault, but its excitement faded, and its ears drooped in disappointment, making Yuga feel sympathetic.
"Yuga? What are you doing here?"
Just then, a familiar voice sounded behind Yuga. He turned around and, to his surprise, he saw Misty.
"Misty? What brings you here?" Yuga asked, delighted.
Since they hadn't seen each other in a while, the two of them found a spot to catch up. Yuga explained why he was in Viridian City, and Misty shared her reason for being there.
It turned out that Viridian City was currently hosting a conference for Kanto's Gym Leaders, and Misty was one of the invited Leaders.
Today, after some intense sparring with several other Gym Leaders at Viridian Gym, Misty decided to bring her Pokémon here for some relaxation, not expecting to run into Yuga.
This beauty salon was well-known for its excellent relaxation and rejuvenation services for Pokémon. Not only was Misty a regular, but she was also a VIP member.
When she learned that Yuga and Ninetales couldn't get in due to a lack of reservation, Misty patted her chest confidently and said, "Leave this small matter to me!"
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