As I step off the wooden path and onto the floor of our room, I look around the area. I can see a few trainers yawning and stretching while rubbing the sleep from their eyes. It isn't all that early in the morning, maybe around eight, yet as the bulk of trainers are teenagers, they tend to rise slowly for the day. In the bathing area at the center of the floor, I can only see two or three others getting ready for the day.
I turn my way towards the batching area as I grab the bottom of my sports bra and peel the sweat-filled fabric off my skin. There is a gentle breeze from hidden fans that blows across my body, causing my nipples to perk slightly as I grab my shorts and slip them and my sneakers off in a practiced motion. I pick up my clothing and continue walking to the showers completely naked. It is nice to be able to readily strip and not have anyone care. It makes me wonder what else happens in this city thanks to Erika. Unless it is not her, and it is something else.
I push that thought out of my head as I find an open shower and turn the water on as cold as it can go. The cool water draws the heat from my body in a pleasant way as I grab some of the provided soap nearby and go about making myself clean. I should have stopped by our room to grab my soap and hair products, but I didn't want to see Flannery just yet. As I wash, I actually take a look at the labels and find that the soaps and hair products provided are actually from Erika's brand. It might not be her luxury stuff, but her brand is much better than average.
I hum quietly to myself as I take my time making sure I am clean. I hear a quiet whistle of appreciation coming from behind me as I turn my face into the shower, but I ignore it for now. I stand under the shower and let the water pressure drum against my muscles in a light pseudo-massage. Normally, you would use hot water to relax muscles, but to me, this water is already on the warm side and works just as well. Once I am thoroughly clean, I turn off the shower and head to our room.
Flannery seems to have already left, as all I see in the room is our bags and my Pokemon snoozing on our bed. Aurora lifts her head from her paws as I enter and blows a soft puff of icy air at me. I don't dodge the 'attack' and let it hit me, where it causes all the water droplets on my skin to freeze and fall off with tiny tinks as they hit the floor.
"Thanks, hun," I tell her as I reach over and pet her head. She lets out a light purr at my touch and lays her head back down a moment later to watch me as I get ready. Now that I am fully dry, I toss my dirty clothes in the laundry basket before heading over to my bag and looking through my clothes. Seeing as how we decided that today is a date, I kind of want to dress up a little. Back in Cerulean City, the three of us had gone shopping, and I had purchased a few outfits that I haven't gotten much of a chance to wear, as we are normally traveling or training. Part of it is that most clothes don't allow enough of my skin to show for me to be comfortable, though recently I have found it not nearly as necessary anymore. It is likely that my cultivation has started to fix that issue for me.
A little bit of digging in my bag, the expanded space is a blessing and a curse at times, and I find the outfit I want to wear. I pull out a white sleeveless wrap with black edging along the inner edge and a black Wooloo cotton miniskirt and matching belt. It is a simple outfit that gives me a slight martial artist look when I wear it. It only takes me a few moments to slip on my outfit, as I don't wear underwear most of the time, and I spend the next few minutes putting on a bit of natural-looking makeup and messing with my hair. I normally put my hair into a ponytail or braid it, but I decided that a half-bun is my look today. It takes a bit to get my hair to look right, but in the end, I'm happy with my outfit.
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I take a look at my bag and realize that it doesn't go with my today's choice of clothing, but I don't want to leave my team behind. I dig through my pack once more and find a separate thigh holster for my pokeballs that will sit just under the hem of my skirt. They will sit a bit higher than normal for me, but it also means I have them with me. I slip the belt around my upper thigh and tighten it. When I look at the bed, my team lounges there as they watch me getting ready, and Skadi's tail is dancing gently.
"Alright, I think I'm good to go. Who wants to walk with me?" I ask my team. To my surprise, Skadi nudges her pokeball and recalls herself, as does the rest of my team. I stare in shock as five pokeballs sit where there were four pokemon sitting. It seems that Tir never left his pokeball. I need to do some training and spend more time with him, as he is really antisocial. "Well, that's a first. Alright, you guys can rest in your pokeballs for now. Just let me know if you want to come out." I tell them as I arrange them on my hidden holster.
I give a small shrug and grab my phone from its charging station and slip it into the inner pocket of my top. My skirt may not have pockets, but my top has one that is just large enough for a cellphone. I don't really have a purse, but I highly doubt I will need anything out of the ordinary. I give myself a simple once-over in the mirror before heading out to meet my girlfriend.
I spot Flannery standing in the gazebo, overlooking a small pond with a couple of Magikarp in it. I stop for a moment and watch my girlfriend as she looks out over the pond. She has her hair down, which is a rarity, and is wearing a sleeveless black dress with a wide red sash around her waist. A smile comes to my face as I see her tuck her bang behind her ear as a slight breeze plays with her hair. I quietly walk up behind her, planning to surprise her, but just as I get within arm's reach of her, one of the boards creaks, causing her to spin around.
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"Hey beautiful." She says with a soft smile as she gives me a hug, which I return with a light kiss on her lips. "I don't think I've seen that outfit before."
"That makes two of us. You normally wear a boyish style, so seeing you in a dress is quite a treat. As is the fact that you have let your hair down."
"Hey, everyone deserves to let their hair down once in a while." She quips back, which prompts the two of us to giggle.
"Ready to guide me around the undercity?"
"Of course! I didn't explore everything, but I know enough to show you around." Flannery grabs my hand and slips her fingers between mine. I give her hand a little squeeze that she returns as we head back towards the city. "It might not be obvious at first, but there are multiple entrances to the undercity. You see those trees that are sitting on little hills?" I nod as she points to a tree that sits a little higher than the others around it. "Those hills are actually the entrances. Everything here is either hidden by nature or made from it. This is the first time I have ever seen a city that doesn't seem like one."
"You can say that again. This place is unique." I nod as I bump my shoulder against hers with a giggle. It only takes a few minutes to walk from the gazebo we met at to the nearest entrance. During our trip, I notice that there is a buzz of noise that constantly grows louder. It isn't until we reach the fake hill itself that I realize what I am hearing is the sound of people talking. Flannery leads me around the tree-topped hill until we come across the entrance that makes me pause for a moment at the sense of deja vu that I get. Under the tree and grass sits a stone front building with a large round entrance in the center, where I notice a couple of people disappear into. If I didn't know now that this was the Pokemon universe, I would have called it a hobbit house.
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I don't get to admire the out-of-universe style building for long as my girlfriend gives my hand a tug and leads me inside. Sadly, the inside isn't as fantastical as the rest of the city and actually feels modern, as everything is concrete or some sort of stone, giving it a polished look. What really surprises me is that about halfway down the steps, the sounds of everyone seems to increase in volume drastically, and then only a few steps later, the source of all the noise.
Unlike the city above, where there is hardly a single person, the underground is filled with trainers and locals alike. The Under City seems to be nearly as packed as the streets of Vermillion City were, but it is like an illusion because of the enclosed area. I look around in awe at the hustle and bustle that was happening under my feet as Flannery gives my arm a little tug as she leads me towards a cafe with an open table.
Not long after we order our food, I sit there sipping on a cup of coffee, since the morning doesn't feel complete unless I consume one. The two of us sit there and chat while snacking on a fairly light breakfast. We don't really talk about anything in particular, as we spend nearly every day together, yet neither of us get bored with our inane conversation. While I sit there, giggling at something Flannery said, I notice that despite how warm the area is, I don't feel uncomfortable, but rather I feel normal. Maybe my adventure yesterday changed me more than I thought. I push the thought out of my head as we wrap up breakfast and continue on with our date.
The next few hours turn into a rose colored haze of happiness. Between dipping in and out of different stores, heading into accessory shops, and trying a few funny-looking items for giggles, the two of us have a fantastic morning. We both have big smiles on our faces the entire time, happy to be in each other's presence. It feels natural to be around her. She radiates a comfortable feeling of warmth, similar to a hearth, that relaxes me. Right around noon, we stop at another cafe and grab lunch. As we are waiting for our food, I happen to spot a kiosk with a map showing where we are in relation to what is above ground. A quick look lets me know that we are near the Gym, reminding me that I had a few things to do.
"Hey love, shall we head towards the Gym and sign up for our battles?" I ask my girlfriend as I steal one of her fries. It's curious how fries taste better when you steal them from someone else.
"Sure, I wonder what the wait time is. The Gym in Vermillion City was two weeks. Hopefully, this one will be much shorter." She says with a shrug.
"I'm not sure, there seems to be a decent amount of trainers around, but I haven't really been to the Gym in the daylight to know."
"Let's swing by once we finish eating." I just give her a nod and steal another fry from her.
It's not too long after, before Flannery and I head towards the Gym. Coming out of the semi-artificial light from the Under City and back into the sunny day makes me pause for a moment as I let my eyes adjust. Unfortunately, I decided to look up to gauge what time it is and end up looking directly into the sun, causing me to suddenly sneeze. The sneeze caught me by such surprise that my vision swims for a moment as everything settles back into place. Flannery just chuckles at me before giving me a hug, which I return.
Before long, we reach the Gym and slip right inside, as there does not seem to be a lot of people waiting outside, unlike Surge's Gym. As the two of us walk up to the counter, I notice that the worker behind the desk is a beautiful woman who looks to be in her twenties. She is wearing a yukata, similar to what I had seen Erika wear last night, only with pokeball patterns all over it.
"Welcome to Celadon City Gym. How may I assist you?"