Kanto Chapter 12 - Celadon City shopping spree

"Ohnoohnoohcrapohno!" Thea lay stomach down, flat to the ground, a large pair of binoculars were covering her face, the only part of her just about visible off the summit of a large hill on route 7.

"What is it?" Shane lay a little way further down the hill slope, but flat on his back looking up at the sky. His brown hair casually flopping over his green eyes, giving them a small amount of shade from the bright sunshine above.

"She's heading to Celadon City." Thea adjusted the focus on her binoculars getting a better view of their target. The red headed teenager was cycling down the road towards the City gate, carefree as ever. Pichu in her basket enjoying the breeze blowing through his ears.

"That's bad becauseee ?" Shane turned onto his side to look at his stressing teammate.

"Becauseee! She isn't supposed to be in Celadon City! She is supposed to be in Vermillion City! Celadon is swarming with our agents. If she gets spotted out here by Head Quarters, the Bosses will know we didn't call it in and on top of that failed to secure the target. We will have blown the whole mission! Ugh forget about promotion, it will be demotion … or worse … expulsion … from the organisation" Thea's voice grew quiet as she finished her sentence. She lowered the binoculars and looked down at the grass.

Shane took in her expression and frowned. Thea was usually so sure and confident. Ok also bitchy and usually raging, but not this. He hated seeing her like this. It bothered him.

Shane wasn't ashamed to admit that Thea meant a lot to him. She was probably the only real friend he had besides his Koffin. They had known each other since childhood and been through a lot together. Both inducted into Team Rocket as juniors, it was the only life either had known. Sure, they fought like Meowth and Lillipup sometimes but they were always there for each other when it counted.

Shane rolled over to his friend, he hooked his hand under her chin and turned her face to look him in the eye.

"Then we will make sure she isn't spotted."

"What? How?" Thea looked at him puzzled.

"We were put on this assignment because we are the best covert operationalists on the field. Time to put those skills to the test. Albeit, a little differently." He gave her a wink and smirked.

Thea's face brightened and she smiled. Sometimes the boy knew just what to say. Elbows on the ground, they slapped hands and locked them in a pact.

Amber and Pichu had now gone through the gate and stepped out into Celadon City. Walking with her bike, Pichu still in the basket, Amber and her pokémon gazed up at the city's tall buildings. This city was famous for it's great shopping and arcades. Amber for one, couldn't wait to sample the sights of the City, and of course challenge the City Gym Leader Erica for her 3rd badge.

Chaining her bike up to an allocated hanger, Amber then signalled to her pokémon.

"Come on Pichu! I'm just dying to check out the Department Store and Game Corner!"

"Pichu." The small mouse pokémon hopped out the basket and bounded along with his trainer as they raced into the city, towards the famous Celadon Condominiums.

"Ughhhhhh! She's just running around all over the place! No regards what-so-ever to the predicament we're in! Inconsiderate little B!" Thea fumed. The Rocket members had also made their way into the city to keep a close eye on their intended target.

"Wow. It's like she's doing this on purpose, just to piss you off." Shane replied sarcastically.

"It is!" Thea snapped back.

Shane put his hands up in submission. He knew when it was time for reassurance rather than poking the peroxide bear. "Hey chill! Look I don't think many of the Rocket members actually know what she even looks like, and it's not like they will be actively out looking to spot her either. We have the advantage here."

Thea's face relaxed. "You're right, they don't have a photo of her. We have the photos of her! The only people who know who she is are those grunts who made a pathetic attempt on the Vermillion Gym, and those guys don't know their head from their arse!" Thea thumped her fist onto her open palm. "Ok I have an idea."

Amber and Pichu stood outside the Condominium, looking up at the tall building, admiring the famous landmark. Amber put her hand up to her forehead blocking the beaming sun from her eyes. Suddenly her whole person became shaded, due a massive billboard sign being held by two people in giant overcoats and fedora hats, a little way from her, blocking her from view.

They must be boiling! Not really thinking too much more about it, Amber took one last look at the Condominium and walked in the direction of the Department Store, Pichu following.

"Are you sure we're not drawing attention to her?" Shane asked his counterpart. He was sweating buckets felt a bit of an idiot holding up a massive sign in a trench coat the middle of the city heatwave.

"Have you forgotten everything we learned? Everyone will be so drawn to the distraction they won't notice what's around. Sometimes hiding in plain sight is the best hiding place of all!" Thea reiterated confidently. "Now come on she's on her way to the Department Store."

With that the pair slowly crab walked after the teenage trainer, under the massive weight of the sign.

Amber ran up to the huge department store, her eyes wide and glistening with excitement of being unleashed on shopping central. Pichu bounded up panting, struggling to keep up with the lively teenager.

"First, we'll go to the TM shop, then the hair accessories shop and of course the hat shop. Oh and we gotta check out the evolution stones! I've heard his store has the best selection in the whole world! Then we can""Hi there Trainer!"

Two figures descended onto the red head, standing either side of her, slightly in front, blocking her from view of the oncoming public. They both had exaggerated shades and caps on, a bright colourful ponchos obscuring their features.

"Oh um hi?" Amber was a little startled and confused. She tried to continue to the store, but the duo blocked her path.

"Are you visiting Kanto's world-famous Celadon Department Store today?" One of them asked, a girl, smiling sweetly. She was taller than Amber but looked close to her age, definitely a little older and a lot curvier.

"Well I'm trying to" Amber remarked, again trying to get past them but they continued to not so subtly block her path.

"You know, you really stand out here." The other, a male commented, he stood slightly taller than the curvy girl and seemed around the same age.

"I … I do?" Amber blushed slightly and smiled coyly. Ohmyarceus, is he flirting with me? I've never had a guy flirt with me before!

"Like a sore thumb." He added. Amber's head immediately drooped. Guess not.

"I'm guessing you're an out of towner and not really in keeping with the latest Celadon look?" The girl added.

Amber shook her head. "I guess not. I've never really kept up with the latest fashions …" she looked to the floor and bit her lower lip, rubbing her left arm with her right hand. She was starting to feel a little self-conscious. Fashion and trends had never really been a priority before, but she didn't want to look like a dork.

"Well let's just fix that! Got to look the part you know. It's all part of the experience. Wow, I know! You just have to wear a hat. Here take one of mine!" The girl plonked an oversized novelty brown Eevee style beanie hat onto the teens head, almost covering her eyes. The colour of the plush hat concealing Amber's natural bright hair colour, disguising her most prominent feature.

"And you know what would finish this look off perfectly? These!" The guy delicately placed a pair of oversized mirrored round sunglasses onto Ambers face, resting them on her cheek bones. Hesitating for a split second before following through on his action, he brushed a stray lock of the younger teens red hair behind her ear and tucked it into the hat out of sight. He smiled. Perfect

The stranger simply stood and stared at the female trainer before him, time seemingly stopping as he took in her appearance, the world behind her replaced with a pretty pink hue. Till a shrill voice broke the moment.

"Like wow! Girl, you are pulling this look off!" The girl clasped her hands together.

"I am?" Amber, still not quite sure about the strange new style, but enjoying the compliment and acceptance from the strangers.

"Pichuuu" Pichu looked up at his trainer with a pained expression. He thought she looked kind of dumb.

"Sure, you're a real Celadon babe." The guy slightly lifted his shades and gave her a wink. His eyes an intense shade of green.

Amber blushed hard at the attention, though her face was fairly hidden behind the giant shades and hat.

"Of course! These like, look sooooo good on youuu. You can totally have them. I insist, you have to have them. So long as you promise not to take them off! At all. Deal? Ok! Oh you just look tooooo cute!" The girl continued to swoon at her new friend, the guy joining in. "Totally cute!"

Amber smiled. "Deal!"

"Ok well off you go, enjoy, have fun, adios, bye bye now …" The girl continued to shout phrases and wave as Amber and Pichu walked into the giant shopping centre, complete with their new "outfit".

"Shop till you drop." The girl waited till her target was out of ear shot. "Literally." The façade dropped. Thea turned to her Team Rocket partner. "Well that part was easy."

Shane sighed as he watched his crush walking away from him. "So perfect…" dreamy eyes covered by sunglasses.

"What did you say?" Thea looked to her partner.

"The disguise, so perfect." He quickly added, explaining himself.

"Well of course. We designed it. Still jobs not over yet." The pair made there way into the shopping mall.

Amber and Pichu made their way through the reception lobby of the building to the short flight of stairs leading to the second floor.

"Hey, you know, who's got to see this hat?" Amber reached for her pokéball and released Eevee.

"Eeeeeeee"

"Hey Eevee! Check it out!" Amber beamed at her pokémon, tilting so the pokémon could see the giant hat covering her head clearly. "It's you!"

"Eee?" Eevee tilted her head slightly and sweat dropped.

"Come on! Let's shop!"

Amber rushed over to the TM store, and put her face to the counter, viewing the rows of discs. Pichu jumped onto her shoulder, Eevee copying him and taking up residency on the other side. Both pokémon were so small and slight Amber felt hardly any strain. The three investigated the glass cabinet

"Let's see … ooooh U-Turn I bet that opens up to some interesting strategies … hmm Waterfall, Dragon Tail … Aha! Iron Tail! Yes please! Bulk Up, Shadow Ball, oooooooooooh Hyper Beam. Wow that's a lot of money … but it is Hyper Beam … Ahh there's Tri Attack!"

Amber opened her purse. "Hmm better not burn through all my money on the first stall. I'll look around first and come back later."

They moved onto the next stall.

"Ooooooooooooooooooooooh! Evolution stones! I should definitely pick up some Thunderstones whilst I get the chance."

Both pokémon glanced at their trainer. Knowing full well each of them needed the stones to evolve to their fullest potential.

"Not for right now." She reassured them. "But maybe some day we'll need them."

The pokémon eased and joined their trainer looking at the pretty arrangement of colourful stones.

"Ahhh, they're so pretty, look at all the colours! They're like a rainbow." Amber beamed at the stone collection. In row gleamed the vibrant yellow Fire Stone, followed by the striking greenie yellow Thunder Stone, next the bold Leaf Stone, the lucid blue Water Stone and finally the pretty, translucent Ice Stone. All 5 reflected light, creating a feint rainbow spectrum across the cabinet glass.

Amber turned to the little fox pokémon on her right shoulder "It's crazy to think any one of these stones has the ability to turn you into a completely different pokémon, Eevee."

"Eeeeeee." Eevee looked at all the stones, slightly overwhelmed.

"Hahaha, it's not a bad thing. I think you're cool. But don't worry, it isn't anything you have to concern yourself with for a long time. Not till you're ready."

"Eee" Eevee nodded.

The stones sales vendor approached; I swear these fanatics outfit choices get weirder every time.

Tall and well groomed, the man was wearing shop uniform and sporting a pair of unremarkable glasses. The salesman smiled at the teen. "That's um … quite the get up you have on there, Miss. I'm guessing you're an Eevee fan? Makes sense you'd be enamoured with our stone collection. Dreaming of Flareons, Vaporeons, Jolteons, Glaceons and Leafeons no doubt."

"Huh? Um well sure I like Eevee just fine." Amber did a small turn to show off the pokémon on her shoulder.

"Did you know we here at the Celadon Department Store are the largest stockholders of evolution stones to date? It's one of the reasons this is the most famous shopping district in Kanto and one of the most famous in the world."

Ambers face lit up under her massive sunglasses and giant hat "I did hear that! How much is a Thunder Stone?"

"All our stones are currently priced at ք5000."

"Hmmm not cheap … OK I'll just take two Thunderstones please."

"Just Two Thunderstones? Wouldn't you like a little, um variety?" The sales assistant mused.

"No, I'm actually an Electric pokémon trainer." Amber tilted so Pichu on her other shoulder came into view. "So all I want is Thunder Stones."

"Oh? So you're not one of those Eevee Fanatics?"

"I wouldn't say fanatic, no."

"Oh … so the hat?"

"I know, I'm stylin'." With that Amber did a small spin to show off her oversized Eevee hat, finishing off the pose by lowering her large mirrored sunglasses and looking over them at him.

Just as she was doing so, a blast of random hot air hit the vendors face causing his glasses to steam and cloud his vision.

"Agh my glasses!" The man took off his glasses and wiped them clear on his apron. His eyesight blurry without his aid.

Pushing her shades back up her nose and covering her face, Amber, none the wiser of the man in front of her desperately clearing the fog from his glasses, paid the money and took two Thunderstones, not looking back as she made her way to the next floor.

The two Team Rocket members crouched down on the other side of the counter holding an air blower. They gave each other a hi five. So far so good.

Amber and her pokémon had reached the 5supth/sup floor, the teenagers eyes lit up!

"Oh wow look at all the stalls!"

There was just about every type and style of accessory known to man in here. Hats, bandanas, glasses, sunglasses, hair bows, flowers … for people and for pokémon!

Discreetly walking past, the already disguised rocket duo effortlessly swiped new accessories from an unsuspecting vendor, completely changing their look.

"OhmyArceus is that a crown?!" Amber wasted no time bouncing around from stall to stall in awe and excitement. Eevee matched her expression. Pichu was not really seeing what all the fuss was about.

"Oh guys look! We can have matching sunglasses! Let's try these on." Amber picked up a couple of pairs of shades and put one pair on Eevee.

"Haha, oh wow! We look like twins Eevee!" Amber giggled showing them off in front of a mirror. The little fox pokémon lightly bounced up and down, loving the dress up game.

"Pichuuu." Pichu whined, seemingly unimpressed.

"Here Pichu." Amber went to put some on her little yellow friend.

"Pichu." Pichu moved his head to the side, refusing to participate.

"Huh? Not you're colour?"

"Pi pi chu!" again the pokémon moved his head to the side.

"You don't want to play dress up?" Amber finally understood.

"Pichu" Pichu nodded.

"Fine, the mouse says nay, the girls will play!"

"Piiiii" he sweat dropped at his trainer.

Amber decided to try on the sunglasses she picked out for Pichu, as she removed the giant mirrored pair from her face to swap, an equally oversized giant flower appeared right in front of her face. There was a girl, taller than Amber, probably a little older holding it.

"Oh, sorry don't mind meeee" The girl smiled sweetly.

She seems familiar … Amber mused but simply paid no mind and put her original sunglasses back on.

Moving onto the next stall, Amber picked up a Sweet Hat for Eevee to try on.

"Oh! That looks so cute!" Amber exclaimed seeing the pokémon dressed up.

"Eeeeeeeee!" Eevee bobbed up and down again in approval.

"Let me try it on!" Amber picked up the hat, as she removed her Eevee beanie, two familiar looking sales vendors appeared either side of her, holding up giant printed T-Shirts, acting like cloth barriers surrounding her.

"T-Shirts! Get your custom print T-Shirts! Size XXL!" The young brunette salesman chimed.

Amber and Eevee finished trying on hats. Hmm those people said I looked really good in this Eevee hat ... Amber decided to stick with the Eevee beanie and moved on to the next stall.

"Hey I'll get one of those!" A random shopper approached the T-Shirt salesman.

"Uh these? Sorry sold out now!" the fake sales vendor proceeded to walk away, leaving the shopper confused. "Wha?"

"Eevee look hair bows! Arwww there are so many! And there all so cute! Oh over here, bandanas too! Oh and little clip on flowers!"

Amber and Eevee began experimenting with the different hair accessories, seeing the different colours and styles complimenting their hair colour and fur colour respectively. So engrossed they didn't notice inflated helium balloons floating up and dancing around them, strategically obscuring views of the unknown famous teenager obliviously shopping.

A man and a woman stood to the sides of shopping stalls. Each holding big bunches of said balloons, letting them out and tugging them back in by long strings at different intervals.

"Pichu?" Pichu looked at the ensuing display, thoroughly bemused, still perched on his trainers' shoulder. There was a lot of weird things going on today.

"Hey Mister! Can I get a balloon?" A little boy tugged on Shanes leg.

"Oooooh me too, me too, me too!" A little girl chimed in, coming over and reaching upwards.

"Beat it kids! These aren't for sale!" Shane glared down at the kids congregating around them.

The little boy scrunched up his face. "If you don't let me have one, I'll scream!"

"Listen brat, we said scram!" Thea iterated.

The little boy frowned and proceeded to inhale deeply.

"Ugh! Fine take it you twerp!" Thea handed him a balloon.

Witnessing the handover of the balloon, the flood gates opened.

"Hey that kid got a balloon from them over there!" "Can I get a balloon?" "Hey, I want a balloon!" "Gimme gimme gimme!" "He got one!" "No fair, no fair, no fair!" "Balloooon!" "I want one, I want one!"

"No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" Shane shouted out, but it was too late. Far too late.

Kids ran in from every direction surrounding The Rocket duo, climbing all over them, reaching for the prized balloons. A dust cloud kicking up around them as they tried in vain to hold off the offending mob of children.

Amber and Eevee walked on, paying no attention to the commotion to the side of them. Too engrossed in their brand-new purchases. Pichu watched the rumble as they walked by. Yep it was a weird day alright.

Amber and her pokémon made their way upto the roof. She got them some drinks from the vending machine and the trio stood over by the rooftop ledge looking out at the panoramic views of the City, the high breeze welcoming. Exhaling, the three relaxed. This had been a fun day so far.

"You see that building over there that looks like a Gloom? That's the Celadon City Gym!"

As the three continued to looked out on the City, Amber pointing out the different sights whilst they sipped on there cool drinks, a beat-up Team Rocket limped out of the stairwell and collapsed on the roofs tarmacked floor. Slumping back to back for support, trying to catch their breath.

"I, I, didn't think, we were, gonna make it, back, there." Thea panted.

"Who, knew little kids, had such … resolve." Shane replied equally out of breath.

"Ok guys, lets move on the next destination!" They heard Amber say to her pokémon and watched broken, as the trainer and her pokémon walked past and away from them, making their way back down into the store.

"I, I, I think I'm gonna cry" Thea silently wailed.

The duo picked themselves up and ambled after their target.

Amber and her pokémon walked through the busy Celadon streets in the direction of the Game Corner.

"I've heard they have some real exclusive prizes here, let's check it out." The trio walked towards the Game Corner building. It's logo a big Rocket…

"Oh shiiiooooooooot this is bad!" Thea watched them head over to the building. She started to hyperventilate.

"Breathe. Remember they aren't specifically looking for her and she's still wearing the chic disguise we gave her …" Shane tried to keep his cool, but secretly he was anxious too. The Game Corner at Celadon City was no normal arcade, behind the scenes it held a big secret…

Amber walked in with Pichu and Eevee and took in the sight of rows upon rows of colourful brightly lit slot machines. "Oh cool! Let's get some coins!"

As Amber and co made there way over to exchange some money for playing chips, an odd, yet familiar looking elderly couple ambled through the doors.

"Ok there's agents swarming in this place, so let's make sure she doesn't draw any unnecessary attention to herself or us for that matter" Thea spoke quietly in Shanes ear who merely nodded in return.

"I'll take 500 coins please." Amber collected coins and sat down at a machine, Pichu and Eevee on her shoulders watching intently as she pumped in coins and pulled the handle, making the machine glow and spin. The "elderly couple" took positions on slot machines either side of the teenager.

They looked around and noted the few Rocket Members scattered around the place, incognito. Fortunately none of them seemed to be taking any interest in the teenager with the Pichu and Eevee. Or them for that matter.

After a few tries Amber had a row of two sevens and was waiting on bated breath for the third wheel to stop.

Seeing a potential scene coming up, Shane subtly clipped a device to the back of the machine, the third wheel slowed and stopped landing on a Seven! "Ahhhhhh!" Pichu, Eevee and Amber all leaned forwards, mouths open in wide gaping exciting smiles. "Pichu, Eevee, we've hit the Jackpot!" A little pixilated Chansey waddled out and used an egg bomb attack causing the digit to change to a big R. Stopping the jackpot pay out.

"Owwww man! I thought we had it there for a moment." Amber shrugged it off and continued to pump coins in. After many, many, many attempts, and with a little unknown manipulation from her neighbours, Amber finally got a fair few small wins and walked away with 1000 coins.

"I bet we can get something really cool with all this!" Amber excitedly went up to the prize counter. "Oh wow! Look! They've got TM's, they've got pokémon, they've got booster items … oooh Hyper Beam!" She put her coin box on the counter and smiled proudly "I've won 1000 coins."

The woman behind the desk smiled sweetly. "Oh, ok you can claim … let's have a look … a silk scarf!"

Amber almost fell over. "A silk scarf? Is that all? How far off a Hyper Beam TM am I?"

"Hyper Beam, Hyper Beam …" The woman looked down the prize list "Hyper Beam is 7500 coins." The woman behind the counter again smiled sweetly.

"7500? It took me ages just get 1000! It'll take me forever to get 7500!" Amber couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice. "Ok I'll take the scarf …"

"Lovely! Here is your scarf. Happy Gaming" her permanently happy face not faulting for a second.

Amber picked Eevee off her shoulder and set her on a nearby counter. "Here Eevee, best you hold onto this." Amber put the scarf loosely around her pokémon's neck. "Perfect."

"Eeeeeeeeee" Eevee approved and Amber let the little pokémon climb back up onto her shoulder.

"Come on, let's go." As Amber turned to leave, she walked past two people, stood up against a giant poster of a rocket.

"Hey kid."

Ohnoohnoohnoohnoohno. Shane and Thea clutched each other in fear. It was the two grunts from the Vermillion Heist. They were rumbled for sure.

Amber paused and looked at them through her giant mirrored sunglasses. They look familiar, do I know them?

"Pffft nice hat" The female Rocket Grunt commented sarcastically, the pair burst out laughing. Amber's eyes went wide and her jaw fell, shocked, the expression soon turned to a scowl and she stomped off both angry and embarrassed. Oblivious who was walking away from them, the pair continued to mock the girl. "What a dork!" "Who even wears shades indoors?" "Hahahahaha!"

Thea and Shane silently celebrated.

"Wow! Either we're geniuses or they are reallllly dumb!" Thea exclaimed.

"Or both!" Shane replied.

The pair clutched hands and did a small victory dance. Soon pausing and back to horrified when viewing their target reaching the exit door and gently pulling off her hat and removing her sunglasses.

"Did I really look like a dork, not cute or stylish? … Have … people just been laughing at me this whole entire time?" She looked down at the hat sadly.

"Piiiiiii" Pichu felt sad for his trainer and gently patted her head.

"Eeeeeee eeeveeee eeeeeeee" Eevee rubbed her head against her cheek.

"Well I thought she looked cute …" Shane quietly commented.

"Seriously who are those bums to comment? They wouldn't know style if it got up and slapped them!" Thea put her hand on her hips, unimpressed at the negative comments from her peers on their "masterpiece" that un-ravelled before their eyes.

"Heh thanks guys…" Her sad smile changed to a look of determination. "You know what? That's it. I'm tired of trying to fit in. Living for the approval of others … from now on if I like something, I like it and if I don't. Then I don't. Screw what anybody else thinks! Right?"

"Pichu!"

"Eevee!"

"Come on let's go, it's time to challenge Erica and get our rainbow badge." Amber walked out the game corner and binned her "new look" with a new resolve.

"They didn't notice her ..." Shane whispered.

"We got away with it!" Thea quietly squealed with delight.

The two unclasped their hands and sighed with relief. They waked out the games corner and looked at their binned accessories.

"Well, that's just great now what?!" Thea exclaimed as Amber headed out into the City bare faced.

"I don't know but things just got worse" Shane held out a vibrating phone.

Thea's face paled. "It's Head Quarters!"

Authors note: I've really tried to blend the silliness of the original season of the anime (which I'm personally a big fan of) with the cannon of the games. It's been hard to write what I visually see in my head. I will try and get the story picking up pace. Right now it's more light hearted and building foundations.