章 69: Scissor Street
"Last question. What is the official power rating of Chansey's signature skill, Soft-Boiled?"
"None! They are special types of moves," Hisoka answered confidently.
Fortunately, he had learned a lot of important knowledge about Chansey. He always wanted to include Chansey in his Pokemon lineup. They were the best medic, in his opinion.
"Okay, you can choose one of these Chansey as your future partner," Miss Joy put her hands behind her back, looking at Hisoka with a glint.
"The assessment is over?" Ryoichi looked puzzled.
"Wait for a second. Miss Joy! Didn't you say that the assessment has three tests?"
"Hisoka has answered the questions with flying colors. So I decided to let him skip the third test," Nurse Joy said briefly.
However, Hisoka sensed something else in her tone. Things might not be that simple.
"Yes!" Ryoichi cheered.
He put his arm around Hisoka and said, "Alright, man! I knew you could do it. Come on, man. Go ahead and pick your favorite Chansey."
Ryoichi motioned his head to the Chansey studying in the room.
From the outside, all of them looked the same, no matter their height or body shape.
Hisoka didn't have that many requirements for the medic in his team. As long as she is able to treat her teammates in future battles, it is enough. Even if they have weak combat power.
Without any hesitation, Hisoka walked toward the closest Chansey. It was sitting on a chair while slowly reading a medical book.
"Hello, I'm Hisoka," Hisoka squatted down, holding his hand out, and introduced himself with a smile.
"Chansey!"
Since Chansey is a caring Pokemon, it will treat everyone around them kindly. Well, unless you mistreated them.
Then, it placed the book on the table and shook Hisoka's hand politely.
Aside from its kind personality, Chansey was also a sensitive Pokemon. She felt the warmth emanating from Hisoka's body and saw the kindness in the dept of his eyes. They made it feel quite safe just being around him.
At this time, Miss Joy also came over, bent down, and said, "This is the trainer that chose you. Would you like to travel with him?"
Chansey hesitated for a moment and looked at the other companions in the room. The other Chansey also heard what Miss Joy said just now and quickly put down the work in their hands. Then, they trotted across the room with their round bodies bouncing slightly.
"Chansey!"
"Chansey!"
After that, several of Chansey's loud cries rang inside the room. The other Chansey, who were standing around the Chansey that Hisoka chose, looked at it with reluctance. A few of them even had tears in their eyes.
The rich emotions of Pokemon were vividly displayed at this time. The other Chansey felt sad because one of their companions would leave them soon.
'Kirlia, what are they talking about?' Hisoka asked secretly.
'The other Chansey was sad to hear that their eldest friend would leave them soon. She seems to be the leader of this group,' Kirlia replied.
"Miss Joy! Can I choose another Chansey from a different group? I don't want to break the bond between these Chansey," Hisoka asked.
"Chansey!"
Chansey became anxious after hearing what Hisoka said just now. She turned toward her friends and shouted angrily.
Then, she lightly bonked the Chansey's head one by one. She stood in front of her front and said something to them. It was as if she was giving a final lesson to her young friends.
"Chansey!"
"This time, she said that she believed Nurse Joy's surely wanted the best for her, whether staying at the Pokemon Center or traveling with you. And she also said they were going to be separated sooner or later. It is much better for them to accept that now rather than later," Kirlia continued to translate for Hisoka.
Hisoka nodded his head. It looked like he had chosen a smart Chansey.
"Congratulations, you passed the third test!"
Suddenly, Nurse Joy's voice appeared next to him.
Hisoka turned his head toward her with a raised eyebrow.
"This is the content in the third test. We want to see how you approach these Chansey and interact with them. Well, you did quite well during this time. I really like that you preferred to choose another Chansey rather than separating them from each other."
Nurse Joy took a pause and continued, "If you did something bad during the third secret test, we would never give a Chansey to you. No matter how well you perform in the previous two tests."
Miss Joy's explained softly. Hisoka finally understood that the third test was the most important assessment out of all three tests.
...
The blue sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds that drifted lazily in the gentle breeze. The afternoon sun bathed the Pokemon Center in its warm light.
Many trainers were walking into the Pokemon Center, either to do a Pokemon check-up, eat at the cafeteria, receive their hunter tasks, or just relax in the Pokemon Center.
Pokemon Center didn't forbid the trainers to hang around the building as long as they didn't cause any trouble to the Pokemon Center's staff. Considering the Pokemon Center's strategic importance, these gathering trainers also served as a backup force in the event of an attack from hostile forces. So this was why the League hadn't forbidden trainers to hang out at the Pokemon Center even though they were a medical center.
Each Pokemon Center was headed by Nurse Joy. Pokemon Center was considered an important service. Some far distant town also tried their best to build a Pokemon Center just to have the League dispatch a Nurse Joy to their town.
Having a Pokemon Center in the town was different from not having one. No trainers were willing to go to a place without a Pokemon Center. They wouldn't be able to heal their Pokemon in the event of an emergency. So they preferred to visit a town with a Pokemon Center.
"Thank you, Miss Joy," Hisoka bowed slightly.
"Please be sure to treat this child well," Miss Joy reluctantly handed the Pokeball that belonged to Chansey to Hisoka.
"I understand that these children will leave me someday, but I didn't expect this day to come so fast," she said with tears in her eyes.
"You can rest assured, Miss Joy. I promise that I will take good care of her," Hisoka said solemnly.
Hisoka was really happy when he received the Pokeball containing Chansey from Nurse Joy.
It was almost impossible to find Chansey in the wild these days. Heck, they were almost as rare as a legendary Pokemon. And if, by some luck, you captured a wild Chansey, if you didn't have the permission from the League, then sorry, your Pokemon would be confiscated by the League. Of course, you can still take the assessment if the confiscated Chansey has a good relationship with you, albeit a much easier test.
This is the same with Growlithe. These two Pokemon species, Blissey and Arcanine, are restricted Pokemon, only available to the Joy and Jenny families. Only a few outsiders were allowed to own these two special Pokemon.
Hisoka was able to get a Chansey smoothly mainly due to the help of Ryoichi. He didn't expect this seemingly unreliable guy was able to come through at this time.
Ryoichi perked up his ears as if he had sensed the emotion in Hisoka's eyes. Then, he put his hand on his hips and said, "Heh! What did I say before? You can always trust Ryoichi."
Hisoka smiled wryly and left the Pokemon Center amidst Ryochi's bragging.
...
"Oh yeah! I almost forgot to tell you about that."
Ryoichi, who was driving an old jeep, suddenly slapped his head lightly.
He looked to Hisoka and said, "After you get the permanent training right, you still have to undergo a three-month inspection period. Once a week, you'll have to stop at any Pokemon Center. A Nurse Joy will do a full body check-up on your Chansey. If they find any signs of abuse and mistreatment, your certificate will be revoked immediately. They would take the Chansey away from you and put you on a blacklist."
"Got it!" Hisoka nodded.
They were currently driving out of the city right now. Hisoka's motorbike was temporarily parked at the Pokemon Center. Since the water reservoir site was located deep in the mountain, he decided to ditch his bike and hopped in Ryoichi's old, beat-up jeep.
"Huh?"
Hisoka was sitting in the passenger seat, thinking about how to train his newly acquired Chansey. Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure walking along the street.
"Can you stop the car for a while? I saw a friend," Hisoka requested.
"Is that your friend?" Ryoichi said with a teasing smile.
"Can you introduce her to me? What a beautiful redhead. She has such a great figure too!"
Hisoka ignored Ryoichi as he stared out of the window. Ryoichi shrugged his shoulders, seeing Hisoka's uninterested look. Then, he slowed down the jeep and parked at the side of the road.
...
"Maggie!"
A familiar voice came from her back, startling her. Her shopping bag nearly fell to the ground. She came to her senses and turned around as her hair swayed in the wind. Her beautiful long red auburn hair that used to reach her back was now cut short.
Tears shimmered in her eyes as she saw a figure that she thought was dead.
"Hisoka!"
Maggie shouted excitedly as she ran toward him.
...
"I thought you were dead. Thank god you survived. What happened during the Gyarados attack?" Perhaps because of the excitement, Maggie looked a little confused inside the jeep.
Hisoka could understand her current mood as he smiled at her.
"After the Gyarados blew us away, I ended up on an uninhabited island. I was stranded there for five days before I decided to try my luck and leave the island," Hisoka said with a smile.
Maggie wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "Ash, Misty, Brock, and I were stranded on a large island. We found many scary, giant Pokemon on the island. But in the end, we found that all of those giant Pokemon was just a robot. Later we discovered that this place was an abandoned amusement park. And it looked like those big robots malfunctioned."
After saying that, Maggie laughed softly.
Hisoka took out a pack of tissues and handed it over to her.
"So, what are you doing now? Are you going to work on another ship?" Hisoka asked.
Maggie fiddled with her hair and said, "No, I don't want to work on a ship anymore. Actually, I am learning how to become a Pokemon groomer with Miss Suzie from Scissor Street. Although I don't know anything about Pokemon, I'm willing to try it."
After saying that, her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment.
'Pokemon groomer?' Hisoka nodded thoughtfully.
This profession paid quite well indeed, especially in a big city with a large population. An excellent Pokemon groomer can get a significant income every month, enough to live without worries.
However, it was not that easy to groom a Pokemon. There are some Pokemon that simply hate other people touching them except for their trainers, such as Houndour and Mimikyu.
"Ash and his friend are heading to Saffron City after challenging Celadon Gym. They'll be happy to know that you are still alive."
Maggie was in a good mood today. The worries that had been hidden in her heart had finally disappeared at this moment.
...
"Welcome to Suzie's Beauty Salon!"
Maggie said as he walked into a small shop on Scissor Street. This salon was much simpler compared to the surrounding salons with luxurious decoration.
Scissor Street, also known as Breeder's Lane, is populated with many different salons for improving both a Pokémon's appearance and its inner strength. It is a must-see attraction for every female tourist who travels to Celadon City.
Many wealthy women from the neighboring Saffron City liked to come to here to have their daily beauty treatments. Scissor Street is also well known for its high-end beauty parlors. Most of the salons here also provided grooming activities for Pokemon, though.
Many trainers were willing to spend a lot of money to groom their Pokemon. After all, who doesn't want their Pokemon to look good?
Suzie's Beauty Salon is a one-stop service that specializes in releasing a Pokemon's inner beauty and health. Although her shop decoration is quite simple, it is one of the most profitable salons on this street.
"Miss Suzie is a famous Pokemon breeder and groomer," Maggie introduced her new boss as she pushed the door open.
"Miss Suzie! I'm back!"
"Ah! Right on time, Maggie. Come to the back! I'm going to give a massage to Arbok soon. Come have a look. You can watch and learn how I do it."
A shout came from the back of the shop.
"My senses are tingling. Miss Suzie must be a top-class beauty," Ryoichi took a deep breath like a true pervert and whispered to Hisoka.
"God," Hisoka face-palmed himself and followed after Maggie, leaving the daydreaming Ryoichi behind.
When he walked into a room, a beauty with turquoise hair was giving a massage to Arbok lying on a small bed with a focused look on her delicate face. She was wearing a slim, white uniform that resembled a nurse.
...
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