Goldenrod City advertises itself as 'A Happening Big City'. This is an understatement. I rise wearily from my seat as the sprawling metropolis comes into view. From my vantage point on the train I can make out a spread of buildings, there are many tower blocks and it's impossible for me to guess which one might be the Department Store. For a moment I am reminded of Medali and its many office blocks. I suspect some of these buildings serve the same purpose- structures for the average people who slog through the working day in the same routine of paperwork. I am weirdly homesick for it and realise what I am missing is the familiarity. Goldenrod City is a mystery to me despite my research on it.

I step out to the aisle of the busy train and hunt through my pockets for the correct ticket. I have travelled by land, sea and air to get here. Air taxi, ship and train have delivered me up to these foreign shores and taken a hefty cut from my wallet for their aid. I am no longer sure what day it is and know I'll have to be sensible and get myself to my hotel because unless it's Monday I'm unlikely to be meeting Looker.

I shuffle forward between other passengers who are a mixture of restless, excited and exhausted. It is easy to pick out the workers from the tourists and trainers.

"Hey mister, wait!

I glance over my shoulder at the voice inquisitively, uncertain if it is even being addressed to me.

A teenaged girl with a small smile holds up a pale blue card in one hand to me. "You dropped this."

I glance down to it and realise it is the ticket I need to disembark this train. I take it from her hand and give a nod.

"Thank you."

She tilts her head slightly and her smile grows, which fills me with confusion.

"You're not from around here," she observes. "Me either. It's really big isn't it? A little unnerving."
I feel my brow tighten as my eyebrows push up into it. I think she's just trying to make conversation but as I tend to avoid social interactions I'm not sure how to interpret or handle them when I'm in one.

"Yes, it's big."

"Ellie come on!"

I stare past her to see a man waving impatiently. He's tall and in a neat dark suit, young faced but touched with the curse of premature ageing in his silver spikes.

The girl glances over her shoulder to him before looking back to me apologetically. "Sorry, I've gotta go but have fun, okay?"

I'm baffled by her charm and can only nod in answer.

She turns, causing her plait bound dark hair to flick back like a whip as she heads down the aisle. I turn away and resume heading out of the train.

I resist the vending machines standing by benches as part of a comforting lure and head for the barriers. I tell myself I can wait until I get to my hotel for coffee and a hopefully decent lunch. The city has a large number of restaurants and cafes to select from, unsurprising given its size, but I didn't have much time to spare on their ratings to know how good they may or may not be.

I swipe my ticket through the barriers and head up a set of steps to a city thriving with life. Chatter surrounds me accompanied by a healthy mixture of squawks, squeaks and growls from Pokemon both tame and wild. Urban Meowths lounge lazily on the rooftops whilst Pidgey manoeuvre through passing feet in the hopes of fallen crumbs. I am pleased to identify all the Pokemon I glimpse so far.

I am aware that Paldea is plentiful with descendants of Pokemon not originally native to the land although I cannot say which Pokemon come from where. Studies like that have never interested me much, I was happy to know what I did about my Normal types and less happy to have to learn something of the Flying variety just to add something 'less dull' to the Elite Team. I am convinced sometimes that Geeta signed me up either out of some desire to punish me with more work or because she lost a bet to someone. Time and time again she has made it clear I am not her desired type for the Elite Four and yet I remain a member.

I keep a firm hand on my briefcase as I march with the rushing crowd, conscious of would be thieves in the area. There are many posters sullying the walls- advertisements for radio programmes and discount deals at the department store dominating them. One or two are offers of rewards for the return of Missing Pokemon. As I walk I notice that these posters are more common than one would realise at an initial glance. There has been a strong effort to try and cover these up as if hiding the problem might make it go away.

I glance up to the street signs as I follow the directions I studied on the train. I am staying at the Sunset Strand Hotel, I picked it as one of middling character because I want to be low key but I feel I deserve a decent meal.

Twenty minutes of walking down busy sidewalks gets me to the hotel with only a little discomfort from having to travel in close proximity to crowds. I enter it quickly and head up the lobby to the reception desk.

A lively pink haired woman glances over from her vantage point in front of the desk as I enter and a wide smile blooms across her bright face. I halt when she starts to wave and look over my shoulder, expecting to see someone standing there waving back. There is no one, now I am both confused and suspicious.

Hearing footsteps rushing across the tiled floor, I turn back and my body tautens immediately as I ready myself for this plucky, overly energetic woman. She skids to a stop, just a few inches shy of a collision and entirely too close for my liking.

I stay still, fearful that a sudden movement might result in her doing the same.

"You've got to be Mr. Larry, right?" She says my name cheerfully and too loudly for my liking.

How have I been found out? I stare back at her silently, taking in her pretty young face and slender, long limbed figure. She looks friendly but then wouldn't that be the idea of someone trying to get my guard down?

"I'm Whitney, Gym Leader of Goldenrod," she introduces happily. She holds out a hand adorned with a chunky, pink bracelet to me.

Her perfume is sweet but a tad too strong, matching with her sugary smile and the flash of energy in her brown eyes. She's grown but the deluded ideals of childhood still hold a spark in her.

"Your boss said you're a Normal trainer too, it's exciting to meet another!"

Ah, the reveal at last. So Geeta is behind this then, trying to sabotage me already? Why? Because she doesn't like me out of her hands or because maybe she's afraid if I find Mia then I'll leave the League? Well it's a valid fear, I've already lost far too much time with Mia, I won't be wasting any more of it working multiple jobs. It'll be whatever I have to work, to keep a roof over our heads, a nice roof of course, and decent food and clothes and education for Mia and... I'm already thinking of the many bills there will be and try to shake it off, Mia will need my time not my money.

Whitney is tilting her head repeatedly at me like a puzzled Starly. "Not a talker are you Mr. Larry?"

"It's just Larry."
She smiles at me approvingly and nods. "Okay then. Well look, I made sure they gave you a nice room here." She glances round the small lobby and at long last lowers her voice. "Although we could've sprung for a better hotel you know."
"It's fine."
"Hmm." She drops her gaze to my briefcase. "You certainly pack light."
"Just necessities."
"Right, well Geeta said you were here on business."

Of course she did and now this Whitney is going to start prying into that. I wonder at her age as her head bobs up and down to take me in and her brown eyes begin to pool with disappointment. What was she expecting?

"Yes."
"Definitely not a talker. Alright, let me help you get checked in."

Whitney waves me over to the desk. I follow in her wake with a less enthusiastic step than she moves with me.

"This is Mr Larry," she introduces me in a hurry, "and he's a Gym Leader and an Elite Four member come all the way from Paldea."

I frown as Whitney offers up my personal information to someone whose name badge I haven't even read yet.

"I would prefer that information stays here," I say calmly.

The receptionist raises her pale eyebrows at me and says nothing.

Whitney giggles. "Are you modest? Hmm or are you hoping to challenge some people incognito?"

"I don't want any attention." I think wearily that this statement is a fact of life for me.

"Hmm, I like it sometimes, it gets me a lot of perks," Whitney muses happily, "but it's not so fun when people beat me." I feel her eyes upon me but keep my stare upon the receptionist, willing the check-in to commence. "Actually, I was hoping maybe I could get a few pointers from you as a Normal trainer. I haven't been a Gym Leader long and I want to improve to impress the League."

"I don't know if I'll have the time for that." I try to sound nice, it's not often I find someone who appreciates Normal Pokemon as much as I do. "I've some business to attend to."

"Oh," Whitney groans out the word. "Well, okay. Can I give you my number in case you change your mind or you know, you need any assistance around the city?"

I struggle to retain my expression of calm as a fluster rises up me. I can feel my mouth crinkling slightly and I reach up with my hand to fix the knot at my tie if only to try and distract myself. Whitney is far too bubbly and friendly, I find her overwhelming after only a few minutes of her time and I don't know what to make of this number business. Maybe it's a Johto thing to be super friendly or maybe it's just a Whitney thing, either way I don't want to deal with chirpy calls from her.

"I...I need to check in." I release my tie and catch Whitney smiling out of the corner of her eye. Does she know she's got me flustered?

"Okay Larry. Tell you what, if you need me just get the desk here to call up my Gym."

"Thanks."

Whitney giggles again. "I'll see you later then."

She departs with an energetic bounce to her step. I watch only to ensure she is actually retreating before returning my attention to the receptionist.

"You're in Room Sixteen, it's got a great view of the ocean."

I nod blandly, unconcerned with the view. "What day is it?"

"Monday."

Bewilderment clouds me momentarily. Have I become so drained from travel that I've lost track of one of the most important details to my trip- the day of the week?

"Where's the Department Store?" I blur it out as alarm starts to grow in me. I don't know when Looker sent his letter, what if this is last Monday of waiting for me?

"It's just a few blocks away, a thirty minute walk if you want to take in the sights."

I don't even know what time of day Looker intends to be in the store, he didn't hint at that, at least not that I could tell. Will he linger all day? Am I even right in thinking that's his plan, to drop by this store two Mondays from when he sent his letter?

"Okay, give me directions please."
"Don't you want to check in first?"

"I'll do it later thanks."

"Alright, let me get you a map of the city." She stands up from her chair and reaches to a counter of leaflets resting on the desk. She grabs one and unfolds it before it placing it before me and pointing with her pen. "This is us." She marks an X. "And this is the store." She marks another X and smiles up at me.

I take the leaflet and inspect it before attempting to fold it up with one hand. It is creased into a different shape from its original and I shove it into my jacket pocket with the hope that I won't need it again.

"Thanks again."
I turn and head back out of the hotel, ignoring the low growls of my stomach as I increase my pace.

I hasten past stores and condominiums on streets thriving with life. I am not concerned with the sights, I just want to get to the Department Store.

It soon towers before me with posters in the windows boasting wares and sells with crowds of people hurrying in and out through its sliding doors. The thought of having to search all these floors with so many people for a man I don't even have a description of fills me with despair. What am I thinking?

I heave out a sigh and head forward with a crowd of trainers discussing which type of Poke Balls they want.

I spend an hour scrutinising people as I pass shelves cluttered with a variety of Poke Balls, and glass cabinets of medicines and battle enhancers. A table of Poke Dolls gives me pause. There are Clefairys, Jigglypuffs, Pikachus and others but no Girafigs. A cluster of schoolgirls lifting up bows and holding them in front of Eevee and Pikachu models while they debate colours almost gives me a headache. I can only imagine the fallout between my Staraptor and I if I tried to put a bow on him.

As I head upwards I wonder if Mia likes bows. Does she have Pokemon she spoils with accessories? Is she a trainer?

The final staircase takes me to the rooftop atrium. Weary, hungry and thirsty, I am tempted by the vending machines and the peace up here. There are only a couple of other people lingering by the benches to take in the view. It's breezy up here and other than over priced sodas, candies and coffees there are no dazzling wares to keep the shoppers' attention.

I head over to a vending machine and admit defeat as I reluctantly select a coffee I know will taste of hot crap. I'm not surprised, just disappointed when it sucks in my note only to spit it out with fresh wrinkles.

"Do you need change?"

I glance over at the voice and find a man staring back from behind a large pair of round glasses beneath a flat cap. He is holding out a handful of loose change to me.

The note slides out of the machine for the second time. I figure it's a sign and shake my head as I take the note.

"No thanks."

I pocket the note and head over to one of the benches.

"That accent, where are you from?"

I look over to the inquisitive man, he's wearing a long, brown trench coat and seems dressed for a rainy day we're not having. "Paldea."

He smiles. "Well there can't be too many people from there here shopping today."

"I wouldn't think so but I'm not shopping, I'm just looking."

In a flurry of dramatic movement he tugs off the cap and glasses revealing a dark crop of hair with a thick fringe that shadows a face buzzing with energy.

"You've recognised me then, quite admirable," he praises with an enthusiasm close to Whitney's. Maybe overexcitable is a Johto thing. "Let me introduce myself as a globe-trotting elite of the International Police, codename Looker." He flings his arms outwards in emphasis to his words.

I don't know what I was expecting but this overly energetic, verging of eccentric man is not it.