As Kazuki and Misty stepped into the perfume boutique, the three women from earlier immediately began their recommendations.
"Sir, miss, you both have such refined auras!"
"I think our newly launched floral fragrance would suit you perfectly!"
One of the clerks picked up a delicately crafted bottle, opened the cap, and gave a gentle spritz into the air in front of Misty.
A soft, elegant floral scent instantly spread through the space.
Misty closed her eyes to take it in, a blissful smile spreading across her face.
Kazuki caught her expression and couldn't help the smile that tugged at his own lips.
Didn't Misty say earlier she didn't understand perfume? Now she looked like a full-on connoisseur. Alright, let's see how you talk your way through this.
"It's amazing! Such a lovely scent!"
Misty offered the simplest praise—albeit with the air of someone who totally knew what she was talking about.
Seeing Kazuki's amused expression, the clerk gave him a spray too and smiled. "Sir, this is a fragrance designed for men. What do you think?"
Misty stifled a giggle, eager to see how Kazuki would handle the question.
Now, Kazuki didn't know the first thing about perfume, but he wasn't about to call it useless in the middle of a perfume store.
He leaned in, sniffed the air, and offered a gentle smile.
"My first impression is that it's very refreshing—like morning sunlight filtering through a garden, with just a hint of dew and breeze."
He paused, as if savoring it deeper, then added, "I think this would be perfect for summer. The clarity of the scent is both relaxing and quietly joyful."
"But that's just my amateur opinion—I don't know much about perfume," he added, modestly.
Misty blinked in surprise. Since when does he know how to talk like that about perfume?
The clerks' eyes lit up at Kazuki's poetic response, showering him with praise.
At that moment, the curtain at the back of the boutique was gently swept aside, and a poised young woman stepped out.
She wore a deep-blue robe embroidered with delicate orchid patterns, graceful and refined. A pale violet sash cinched her slim waist, and her long, dark hair cascaded down her back, loosely tied with a white jade hairpin, exposing her smooth, fair neck.
This was the woman Kazuki had come here to meet—Erika, the Celadon Gym Leader.
"You have a truly unique perspective on fragrance," Erika said with a soft smile. "You both seem to appreciate perfume deeply."
"We're currently hosting a fragrance workshop—would you like to attend? You can bring your girlfriend, of course."
Kazuki hadn't even responded before Misty piped up eagerly, "Yes, please! That sounds wonderful!"
Since this was part of the system mission, Kazuki nodded as well.
Erika then changed into more casual attire and led Kazuki, Misty, and a group of fragrance enthusiasts toward the Celadon Gym.
Once outside, Misty crossed her arms and turned to Kazuki.
"Okay, spill it—do you actually know perfume?"
"Nope," Kazuki said under his breath.
"Nope?" Misty's eyes widened. "Then what was that nonsense you just said?!"
Kazuki tapped her lightly on the forehead. "It's called adaptability. If I were as dense as you, how could we have scored a spot in the beautiful shopkeeper's perfume class?"
"Hmph~ You're the best!" Misty beamed, looping her arm through his.
After a brief moment of sweetness, she paused as a thought struck her.
"Wait a sec—are you here for the lesson or the lady?"
"Why not both?" Kazuki said with a grin.
"You!" Misty nudged him with her elbow. "You perv! Be careful or we'll get kicked out!"
The two followed Erika into the Celadon Gym. Only then did Misty realize who was leading them.
"She's the Gym Leader?!"
"No wonder she can run a place as massive as that perfume shop!"
"This perfume lesson just became way more valuable!"
She shook Kazuki's arm in excitement.
Kazuki glanced at Misty, then looked toward Erika. Now there's a Gym Leader who's got both the gym and the business locked down.
Meanwhile, my own Water-type Gym Leader girlfriend still has a long road ahead…
Just as Erika led the group into a room lush with greenery, Kazuki spotted three suspicious figures lurking near the entrance.
It clicked—this was the scene from the original script where Team Rocket tried to burn down the Celadon Gym.
Without a word, Kazuki released Gastly and whispered his orders: intercept Team Rocket and prevent them from messing up the upcoming battle.
Gastly nodded, then vanished into the ground like a shadow.
Kazuki calmly followed Misty inside, acting natural as they found seats and listened to Erika begin her lesson.
"Perfume isn't just about adding fragrance," Erika explained.
"It can calm the mind and body… even help heal emotional wounds..."
The lesson progressed smoothly. Misty listened attentively, often turning to Kazuki to share her thoughts.
Kazuki, however, let it all wash in one ear and out the other. These complicated perfume concepts just wouldn't stick.
After the class ended, Misty skipped off to ask Erika more about blending scents, while Kazuki waited quietly nearby as Erika answered the other guests' questions.
Once the last one left, Erika noticed Kazuki standing at a distance.
Thanks to the earlier Romance Mission with Misty, Kazuki's charm had increased by 50%. If he brought up something the woman cared about, it would naturally draw favor.
So Erika walked over to him on her own initiative.
"Kazuki, was there something you wanted to ask?"
Right now, Kazuki felt like a student in math class bending down to pick up a pencil, and if Erika asked what exactly he didn't understand… well, the answer would be these two points.
To avoid wasting any of his hard-earned charm, Kazuki got straight to the point.
"Erika, I'm actually here for a Gym battle."
"My girlfriend Misty really likes perfume, so I came to accompany her to your class first."
"I hope you don't mind!"
A move that hit two birds with one stone—Misty's affection went up, and so did Erika's.
"A boyfriend who takes care of his girlfriend like that gets full marks from me! I don't mind at all."
"But next time, pay better attention in class, alright?"
"Now, come with me. Let's head to the battle stage."
As long as you weren't openly dismissive of perfume, Erika always maintained her gentle, big-sister demeanor. The mission was progressing smoothly to the battle phase.
"The Celadon Gym operates under 3v3 rules!"
"Both trainers may switch between their three Pokémon at will during the match!"
"Once all three Pokémon on one side are either unable to battle or leave the arena, that side loses!"
The rules were announced by a young uniformed clerk from the perfume shop.
Erika gently took out a Poké Ball from her sash.
"Come, Tangela!"
A bizarre Pokémon wrapped in vines emerged—something that looked like a ball of yarn but was actually Grass-type.
Sometimes, the Pokémon world's type assignments were just bizarre.
Charizard isn't a Dragon, but Exeggutor is?
Kazuki grumbled silently to himself, then tossed out his own Poké Ball.
"Let's go, Bulbasaur!"
The moment Erika saw his Bulbasaur, she raised an eyebrow. As a Grass-type expert, she instantly knew something was different.
"Your Bulbasaur… it's very high-level, isn't it?"
"Was it a gift from a senior trainer in your family?"
"All of Kazuki's Pokémon were caught and trained by himself!" Misty called from the sidelines, proudly standing up for her boyfriend.
Though she admired Erika's perfume knowledge, when it came to battle, Misty cheered Kazuki on without hesitation.
Erika gave Kazuki a new look—one of genuine recognition.
"Oh? Then you must be a very promising young trainer."
"But I do have one more question."
"Your Bulbasaur is long past the evolution level."
"So why hasn't it evolved?"
Erika, to her credit, was a genuinely kind Gym Leader. She was known for offering real guidance during battle, stopping just short of crushing her opponents.
So even though she asked many questions, Kazuki answered patiently.
"That was Bulbasaur's decision," Kazuki said. "It's concerned about potential instability after evolution."
"It's my partner, and I want to respect its will."
"But Erika—if you underestimate Bulbasaur just because it hasn't evolved, you might regret it."
Hearing that, Erika's affection for Kazuki deepened.
"I would never underestimate any Pokémon."
"And I deeply admire your attitude toward your partners."
"You deserve to earn the Rainbow Badge."
Since Bulbasaur was a Grass-type, and Kazuki's care for it had clearly moved Erika, it looked like he could earn the badge even without fighting.
But Kazuki still had his active mission: if he beat Erika, his Elite-tier Bulbasaur would gain five whole levels.
There was no way he was missing out on that reward.
"Thank you for your kind words, Erika."
"But I still hope you'll give me a proper lesson in Grass-type combat."
That one word—lesson—hit Erika right in her teacher's heart. She drew in a deep breath and stepped into full battle mode.
"Alright then! Show me, Kazuki—just how impressive your Bulbasaur really is!"
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Next Goal:- 100PS
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