Having decided on the shop, Ange led the group toward their destination. Soon, they arrived at a clothing store called "Heilan Home."
"Welcome!" the greeter said with a professional smile as Ange and his group entered.
However, as soon as they stepped inside, they were met by three Pokémon with flamboyant appearances and graceful postures. Without a word, the trio began to dance.
Qua qua~
The three Pokémon twisted their bodies with light footsteps, their movements perfectly synchronized through every spin and leap, as if they were cast from the same mold.
What an abstract dance. As expected of the Dancer Pokémon—Quaquaval!
Ange then remembered that the signature Pokémon of Heilan Home was Quaquaval. It was said that the founder's starter Pokémon was a Quaquaval, and the name "Heilan Home" was inspired by its sea-blue plumage.
As the performance ended, the three Quaquaval bowed elegantly. The greeter then continued:
"Visit Heilan Home twice a year, and every time feels like a new experience! Welcome to Heilan Home."
Ange: ...
"May I ask what you are looking for, sir?" the young lady asked.
"I'd like to see some attire for a dinner party," Ange replied.
"Very well, please follow me." She pointed in a certain direction.
Ange nodded and signaled the Pokémon to follow. Munchlax and Drizzile were visiting such a place for the first time. Their heads turned left and right, scanning everything with eyes full of curiosity.
"Munch munch~~" Look, those clothes over there are so strange, haha~
Munchlax didn't forget to pull Drizzile aside and whisper while they looked.
"Driz driz, driz driz~" Exactly, exactly. And that one too, it's so... heehee...
The two Pokémon whispered to each other until Ange spoke up, "You two, keep up."
"Munch~"
"Driz~"
Only then did they quickly run to Ange's side.
Diancie was equally curious about the wide variety of clothing in the store. However, she prided herself on being a royal lady and wouldn't look around like Munchlax and Drizzile; that would be far too inelegant.
Soon, Ange was led to the formal wear section. Mannequins stood dressed in exquisitely tailored garments that clearly looked expensive. Shelves and cabinets were filled with all sorts of outfits, leaving Diancie, Munchlax, and Drizzile dazzled. Only Komala remained fast asleep in Munchlax's arms.
"Ange, what do you think of this one?" Diancie asked, taking a royal blue suit off a hanger.
The sales assistant nearby gasped and covered her mouth upon hearing Diancie speak, then began to observe her curiously. Diancie noticed her gaze and gave a polite, slight smile. The sales assistant felt as if her heart had been struck by Cupid's arrow.
So cute!
Ange took the suit and held it up against himself. Diancie's taste was indeed excellent; the size was almost perfect, except...
"Diancie, is the color a bit too flashy?" Ange said with a troubled look.
"Is it?" Diancie tilted her head. She thought the royal blue suited Ange's bright blonde hair perfectly.
"Alright then, let's try another one."
The previous set was based on her own preference; since Ange didn't like it, she would let it go. She hung the suit back up and took a black one to hold against him, but she couldn't find satisfaction in it either.
"The time is too tight, otherwise we should have ordered something custom-made," Diancie said regretfully.
The sales assistant smiled and added, "We do accept custom orders as well. You can try that next time."
"Alright, next time for sure," Ange replied with a smile.
Diancie spent a long time measuring things against Ange before eventually putting them back.
"No, this one is too old-fashioned."
Hanging the black suit back, Diancie selected a light gray one. After comparing it to Ange, she shook her head. "Still no. Too low-key."
"Being low-key is fine! I'm not the protagonist," Ange said.
"That won't do either." Diancie's gaze quickly scanned the suits until it landed on a white one. Her eyes lit up as she brought it over. "How about this?"
Ange frowned slightly and whispered, "Isn't it a bit flamboyant?"
Diancie was dissatisfied. "How is it flamboyant? I think it's very suitable!" She turned to Munchlax and Drizzile. "What do you two think?"
"Munch munch~~" Looks good! Teacher wears it, looks good!
Munchlax spoke while clapping.
"Driz driz, driz driz~" Handsome, very handsome!
Drizzile gave a thumbs up.
"Really?" Ange asked.
"You can try it on first," the sales assistant suggested.
"Yes, go try it on first." Diancie pushed Ange into the fitting room.
Ange helplessly entered and quickly changed. When he stepped out, he was dressed in a white suit. With his tall frame and elegant bearing, he looked like a charming prince stepped right out of a painting.
"So handsome!" The sales assistant's eyes widened.
"How is it?" Ange felt a bit embarrassed as he touched the button on his chest. In two lifetimes combined, he had never dressed so formally.
"Beautiful!" Diancie said with satisfaction. Her taste was indeed correct.
"Munch munch~" Beautiful! Teacher is too beautiful!
Munchlax clapped continuously, making the sleeping Komala in its arms frown from the bumping.
"Driz driz, driz driz~" Handsome, so handsome!
Drizzile praised him generously as well.
The sales assistant stepped forward and said, "White suits you perfectly, sir. This suit looks as if it were tailor-made for you."
"Really?" Ange asked, still unsure.
"Of course, my eyes are never wrong," the sales assistant said confidently.
"Then... shall we choose this one?" Ange asked, looking at Diancie, Munchlax, and Drizzile.
"Munch~"
"Driz~"
Diancie, Munchlax, and Drizzile all nodded simultaneously.
"Alright, this one it is." Ange went back into the fitting room, changed out of the suit, and handed it to the sales assistant. "Please wrap it up."
"Certainly, sir." The young lady handed the clothes to another assistant and said to Ange, "Would you like to pick out a tie as well?"
Right, the tie.
So Ange and the others followed the sales assistant to pick out a wine-red tie. The contrast between the white suit and the red tie was very strong, and Diancie and the others all agreed it looked great.
After buying the tie, Ange asked, "Do you have any clothing for Pokémon here?"
"Of course," the assistant replied. "At Heilan Home, we have designers specifically for Pokémon clothing. All your requirements can be met here!"
Quite an exaggeration! Ange thought, as expected of a salesperson.
"Please take us to see," Ange requested.
"Certainly, sir. Please follow me this way."
As Ange and the others went to select Pokémon clothing, a family of three pushed open the doors of Heilan Home.
In this family, the parents were roughly in their thirties and both wore white lab coats. The child looked about eight or nine years old, wearing a backpack, with a Mabosstiff following at his feet.
"Honestly, suddenly saying there's a dinner party to host—we never heard about this before. I'm very busy," the wife complained.
"Don't be like that. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Basic social activities should still be attended," the husband advised his wife.
"Honestly!" The wife ran her hand through her light brown hair. "Then let's hurry up. We'll go back as soon as we finish choosing!" She strode into the shop.
Seeing this, the husband called to the child, "Arven, keep up."
The child called Arven quickly followed his parents with the Mabosstiff. Like Ange and his group, the family of three watched the Quaquaval dance.
On Ange's side, he was helping the four Pokémon choose their clothes. Diancie, Munchlax, Komala, and Drizzile all walked out of the fitting room together.
Diancie wore a white transparent gauze top on her upper body and a light pink long skirt adorned with gems on her lower body, making her look like a royal princess.
Munchlax wore a white suit jacket without pants, very similar to Ange's.
Drizzile wore a light blue suit with a bowtie and suit shorts. It actually looked quite good.
Komala, held in Munchlax's arms, wore a black suit with a white bowtie, which also looked quite nice.
Ange looked Munchlax up and down. "Munchlax, why didn't you do up your buttons?"
Munchlax pulled at its clothes with a pitiful look. "Munch munch~" Can't do them up!
As it spoke, it puffed out its belly. The rounded stomach swayed from side to side with its movements, like a balloon filled with water.
Ange stepped forward and patted its belly, stuck between laughter and tears. "You really are making things difficult for the clothes."
It ate too well and too much normally, and with the Thick Fat ability, it really wasn't the clothes' fault for not fitting.
Ange turned to ask the sales assistant, "Do you have a larger size?"
The assistant looked troubled. "We have other styles, but this is already the largest size for this model."
{{{Д"}} Munchlax's face fell instantly upon hearing this.
Uwaaa~ It wanted to wear the same style as Teacher!
"Munchlax, how about we change to a different one?" Ange asked.
"Munch~" Mhm-mhm~~
Munchlax hugged Komala sadly and nodded gently. Everyone else had bought clothes they liked, but it didn't...
There really weren't many clothes suitable for a Munchlax. In the end, Ange chose a blue and white outfit for it, which matched its deep blue fur perfectly.
When the sales assistant brought over the packaged clothes, Munchlax still had a dejected look on its face.
Seeing this made Ange's heart ache. Suddenly, he feigned annoyance and said, "Oh dear, the more I think about it, the more I feel white is too flamboyant. Why don't we go re-select one for me?"
Ange winked at the sales assistant. Having observed customers for a long time, she understood immediately. "Then please follow me, sir."
"Fine!" Ange pretended to head back to the men's suit section.
After some picking, Ange took out a blue and white suit and said, "Let's go with this one. I think this suits me!"
He went into the fitting room to try it. The size was perfect, and it looked just as handsome as the white one.
When Ange walked out wearing the suit, Munchlax's eyes lit up instantly because this set was a perfect match for its own clothes, like a parent-child set.
"Munchlax, how is it? Does it look good?" Ange walked up to Munchlax and asked.
"Munch munch~" Looks good, looks good! Teacher is the most handsome!
Munchlax's mood visibly improved.
"Is that so? I think so too."
With that, Ange went back into the fitting room to change and handed the suit to the assistant. "Wrap it up."
The sales assistant looked delighted. "Certainly."
Although Ange picked a new one, he didn't return the white one from before. Earning double the commission, how could she not be happy?
After taking the clothes, Ange and the others prepared to leave Heilan Home. Drizzile and Munchlax, carrying Komala, walked in front. Because its wish to wear the same style as Ange was fulfilled, Munchlax's mood was noticeably better, chatting with Drizzile while skipping along.
Walking behind, Diancie couldn't help but say, "You spoil it too much. I still think the white one looked better."
Even though the white one was purchased, Ange certainly wouldn't wear it to the banquet now.
Ange looked at the joyful Munchlax and smiled with a kindly expression. "What does it matter? Look how cute Munchlax is."
"Hmph~" Diancie turned her head away from him.
As Ange and his group reached the door, they happened to bump into that family of three. Originally, neither side paid much attention to the other, but when the wife saw Diancie standing beside Ange, she let out a cry of surprise:
"That... is that the legendary Diancie?"
The husband also showed a shocked expression.
"U-Excuse me... sir!" the wife quickly called out to Ange.
Ange turned back in surprise, looking confused. "Are you calling me?"
"Yes." The wife walked quickly to Ange's side, with her husband following close behind, while the child followed in the back with a deep sigh.
"Is something the matter?" Ange looked at the couple, feeling like he had seen them somewhere before.
"Let me introduce myself. I am Sada," the wife said. She then pointed to her husband and son. "This is my husband Turo and our son Arven."
Upon hearing this, Ange suddenly realized. So it was Professor Sada and Professor Turo! No wonder they looked familiar!
But wasn't he in the world of the anime? Why were characters from the games appearing? However, on second thought, he felt there was nothing strange about it. There was no rule saying game characters couldn't appear in the anime; those Gym Leaders and the Elite Four appeared in both, didn't they?
It was just... why would Professor Sada and Professor Turo appear in the Azoth Royal Capital? Ange looked at Arven again and thought: So Arven in the anime is only this big!
Ange said calmly, "Ms. Sada, Mr. Turo, and little Arven, hello. I am Ange."
The couple looked at each other and then came to a realization.
Sada: "You are... Prince Ange of the Azoth Royal Family?"