Chương 11: Chapter 11: Marketplace
Heath looked at the little girl in front of him and couldn't help but gulp. Though he had often bragged about confronting female ghosts, claiming he'd make them take maternity leave if they dared show up, now that he actually faced one, he felt a tinge of fear. Taking a few deep breaths, he cautiously asked the girl, "Who are you?"
Looking at the little girl, Heath reasoned she couldn't be a ghost since there were only Ghost-type Pokémon in this world. He recalled an episode from the Pokémon anime where a ghost turned out to be a Gastly in disguise. Gastly sure had some unique abilities.
"Aren't you afraid of me?" the girl asked, tilting her head while hugging a tattered teddy bear.
Heath frowned. The girl gave him a strange feeling, especially with the dense fog around, amplifying the eerie atmosphere. The last time such thick fog appeared was in Galar.
Just as Heath was about to say something, the girl in white vanished like a wisp of wind, along with the fog. The Evergreen Forest reappeared before Heath.
Confused, Heath walked to where the girl had stood but found nothing of value. Yet, he was certain of what he had seen.
"HEATH!" As Heath pondered over the mysterious girl, he heard a furious voice.
Heath shuddered and turned around slowly, only to see Maple holding a whip, smiling at him.
"Sis Maple..." Heath stammered, already imagining his epitaph.
"Heath, didn't I tell you not to come to Evergreen Forest?" Maple asked, gripping the whip tightly, the veins on her hand bulging visibly.
Heath shot a pleading look at Arcanine, hoping the Pokémon he had often fed would come to his rescue.
Arcanine, however, shook its head sorrowfully and covered its eyes with its paws as if unable to watch what was about to happen.
Heath cursed inwardly at the traitorous Arcanine. All those meals wasted! He felt like roasting Arcanine right then.
"HEATH!" Maple's voice grew even more menacing.
"I'm sorry!" Heath blurted out, realizing Maple was about to lose her temper.
Despite agreeing to various unequal treaties, Heath was still thoroughly beaten by the enraged Maple, limping back to his dormitory afterward.
"Hey there, Heath. What happened to you? Did you finally become a man today?" Another Officer Jenny, off-duty and in casual clothes, teased him with a mischievous grin.
Heath rolled his eyes. So much for the serious and cute Officer Jennies! How come the ones he knew were so sly, turning into seasoned flirts and making him nervous?
Ignoring the relentless teasing from the Jennies, Heath felt like he was reaching a state of enlightenment, almost becoming a Buddhist monk. He finally reached his dorm.
"Sis Maple, are there ghosts in this world?" Heath asked cautiously, seeing that Maple's mood had improved.
Despite being in this world for a while, Heath only remembered some main plot points and Pokémon. He vaguely recalled seeing real ghosts in the anime, not just Ghost-type Pokémon but human spirits.
"Why do you ask? Of course, there are no ghosts. Our Jenny family has never encountered any ghost reports in Kanto or elsewhere," Maple replied, giving Heath a stern look before heading to the bathroom with her clothes.
Heath rubbed his chin. If the girl wasn't a ghost, could she be a Pokémon?
A talking Pokémon would be extraordinary.
With curiosity, Heath tossed and turned in bed before finally falling asleep, feeling that he might have future encounters with the girl.
The next morning, before dawn, Heath quietly left the dorm without waking Maple. Pushing his cart, he headed to the Viridian City market. Though it was still dark and the streetlights were on, the market was already bustling.
"Hey, Heath, buying groceries again today?" called out the fishmonger at the entrance, whom Heath called Uncle Nord.
Heath greeted Uncle Nord warmly and glanced at the fish tanks, recognizing most of the fish.
The Pokémon world still had ordinary animals, though they were rare and often farm-raised. Some Pokémon coexisted and helped wild animals.
Uncle Nord sold common fish like grass carp, koi, and even grouper and tuna.
Heath enjoyed the market's variety, finding unknown vegetables and fruits. However, there was a significant price difference between berries and regular fruits, with berries being much more expensive.
This expense partly explained why becoming a trainer was tough. Fortunately, Farfetch'd wasn't a picky eater, saving Heath a lot of money.
Heath bought his usual ingredients from familiar vendors at good prices and was about to leave when he spotted an excellent piece of pork at the meat stall. He wanted to make a favorite dish from his past, though meat was pricier than vegetables and eggs.
Now that he had paid off his debts, Heath decided to splurge on the pork.
"Leek?" Farfetch'd, released after they left the market, eyed the pork curiously.
Heath had a bad feeling.
(Chapter End)
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