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***
As the showerhead sputtered to life, a perfect stream of warm water cascaded onto David's head. He closed his eyes, leaning back into the basin with the kind of satisfaction usually reserved for spa commercials.
Crystal, still bewildered by the absurdity of actually giving someone a real shampoo here, asked with a reluctant sigh, "Is the water temperature alright?"
David nodded, a goofy grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, perfect. Got a good hand for this, huh? You sure this isn't your real job?"
Crystal muttered something under her breath but began working the shampoo into his hair anyway, her nails massaging his scalp. To her own surprise, it wasn't the worst gig she'd had. At least this one didn't involve sweating or yelling.
David, blissfully unaware of her mental breakdown, tilted his head back a little more. "Hey," he began casually, "you call this place the 'Gardevoir Shampoo Room.' Do you guys actually have a Gardevoir here, or is that just for show?"
Crystal's hands paused for just a moment, then resumed scrubbing. She glanced down at him, sizing up his student-like appearance, and clearly not worried about spilling a bit of info. "Yeah, we do," she replied with a hint of smugness. "Our signature Gardevoir's… very expensive."
The way she emphasized "very expensive" practically screamed you definitely can't afford it, but David just chuckled. "Ah, I get it. Premium stuff, huh?"
But his mind was running wild with another thought. Wait a second... people actually pay to... do stuff… with Gardevoir?He cringed at the mental image, shuddering a bit in the chair. His memories of forums back in his old world flashed before him. All those degenerates who'd probably sell their soul for something like that… Yikes. I hope that's not what's happening here.
David cleared his throat, trying to shake off the disturbing thought. "So... Gardevoir's really here? Like, for real? But aren't they only found in those high-level mystery zones? How'd your boss even manage that? He must be some kind of Elite Trainer or something, right?"
Crystal smirked, clearly enjoying his curiosity. "Something like that," she replied cryptically. Her hands continued scrubbing, fingers working through knots in his hair with unexpected care.
David's eyes lit up with interest. He knew that mystery zones—basically wild, untamed areas of the world—were categorized from E to S. Level E zones were like glorified petting zoos, while D-level had a bit more mystery and danger to them. But the real action was in the C-level and above—totally wild, unexplored terrains where finding a Gardevoir wasn't just lucky; it was practically a miracle.
And yet, this shady little shop had one on standby? He couldn't help but grin. Either these guys are way more powerful than they look, or there's some real shady business going on here…
His mind spun with possibilities, while Crystal, utterly perplexed by this weird yet oddly charming customer, kept scrubbing away, still getting system notifications in his head:
[Obtained negative emotion value +20 from Crystal...]
[Obtained negative emotion value +20 from Crystal...]
[Obtained negative emotion value +20 from Crystal...]
David smirked to himself. He'd just come for a Shiny Ralts, but if there was a Gardevoir here too? Things were getting real interesting.
***
Crystal lathered shampoo into David's hair with all the enthusiasm of someone whose dreams had just been crushed. David, completely unfazed, lay back with his eyes closed, enjoying the surprisingly decent scalp massage.
"So," he began casually, "where did your boss catch a Gardevoir? I'm planning to catch a Ralts or Kirlia, might go look there."
Crystal shrugged, fingers still scrubbing away. "Beats me," she replied flatly. "All I know is the boss caught it by accident."
David's eyes flew open, his head popping off the sink. "Caught it by accident? A Gardevoir?"
Crystal raised an eyebrow. "Uh... yeah? Why? That surprising?"
David stared at her like she'd just told him Pikachu runs on AA batteries. "You know Gardevoirs can teleport, right? Like, blink and they're gone. And they can read minds! They can sense bad vibes a mile away. I once saw a video where a Gardevoir teleported away from a kid just because he tripped and spilled his juice. How the heck do you accidentally catch one?"
Crystal rolled her eyes. "I dunno, maybe it was distracted. You want conditioner or not?"
"Yes, and not the cheap stuff," David replied before leaning back again. "Do you guys have any others? Like maybe a Ralts or a Kirlia?" He tried to keep his voice casual, but the eagerness leaked out.
Crystal paused, clearly baffled. "Are you out of your mind? Gardevoir is rare enough! We got one, not a whole daycare. What do you think this is, a breeder's market?"
David deflated a bit but nodded. It didn't seem like she was lying—she was too annoyed to fake it. He closed his eyes and started thinking through the layout of the second floor. He'd been through most of it, and still no sign of Ralts. Either it was hidden really well, or…
His eyes shot open. "Teleport…" he muttered. Crystal stopped washing. "Huh?"
"Nothing," David said, shaking his head. If that Gardevoir really was captured, it had to be by someone serious. Teleport isn't just some cheap party trick; it's basically a get-out-of-jail-free card. For it to be stuck here, whoever did it must be pretty powerful. "Not good," he whispered.
Crystal, blissfully unaware of David's internal conspiracy theories, finished up with his hair. "All done. You want a blow-dry too, or are you planning to air-dry that mop?"
David sat up, water dripping from his hair, and looked at his reflection. He didn't even recognize the soaked mess staring back. He rubbed his hands through his hair, spraying Crystal with stray droplets. "Ah, I'm good. I like the rugged look."
Crystal shot him a glare and handed him a towel. "Sure, let's call it rugged."
David grinned, but his mind was already racing. He needed backup. And fast. But who? His mind flicked through his options like a Rolodex. Tom? His best friend, but the guy just got his first Pokémon last week. He still thinks Tackle is a special move. Melissa, his teacher? Yeah right, she'd lecture him about his life choices before he could even explain why he was here. Plus, he'd probably have to explain why he was here, and that was just a trip to detention waiting to happen.
David groaned, running his hands through his hair again. I really need better friends, he thought. All he had were two clowns with barely any fighting power. He was just about to give up hope when a lightbulb flickered on in his brain. He shot up from the chair, still dripping wet. "I'm such an idiot," he muttered.
Crystal blinked, watching him with obvious confusion. "What? Shampoo got to your head or something?"
David leaned in suddenly, his damp hair still dripping, his face inches from hers. Crystal went stiff, her face flushing red.
"Little big brother, are we... are we finally gonna do what adults do?" she asked breathlessly, her eyes practically sparkling.
David blinked, caught off guard. "Huh? Oh! No, I just—"
Crystal took that as a yes. With a grin, she tugged her uniform down a bit, revealing her modest boobs, clearly trying to, uh… set the stage. David's eyes bulged. "Whoa, hey! Easy! This is... uh... unexpected!"
Crystal stepped closer, voice dripping with suggestion. "I'm just saying… you haggled so hard for the price, I figured you were really ready for the main event."
David rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Actually... about that. I, uh… I got a friend who wants to pay for me. And he's got money! Lots of it! He'll even cover my share!"
Crystal's eyes practically turned into dollar signs. "Your friend's loaded?"
"Rich as heck," David nodded, trying his best to look sincere. "I just gotta call him real quick."
Crystal couldn't hide her glee. "Perfect! I'll go get changed and freshen up, you call your rich friend and tell him to bring the cash!" She gave him a flirty wink and strutted out of the room, swaying her hips with enough enthusiasm to turn heads from across the block. After all, who wants to be prostituted for nothing!
David let out a sigh of relief as she disappeared down the hallway. He was in the clear. Now he just had to figure out how to get his backup... and maybe find Ralts in the process.
"All right," he muttered to himself, cracking his knuckles. "Time to call in the cavalry... or at least the best I can get."
David pulled out his phone with a grin, fingers hovering dramatically over the keypad before punching in three numbers: 1-1-0. He leaned back in his chair, one hand behind his head like he'd just ordered a pizza.
"Well," he muttered to himself with a smug grin, "if you can't beat 'em... report 'em."
The line clicked, and a deep, no-nonsense voice answered on the other end. "Hello, Alliance Investigator—Pacific Branch. How can I assist you?"
David cleared his throat, dropping his voice to sound as serious as possible. "Yes, hello, Investigator Uncle? I'd like to report some serious Pokémon crimes happening at the 'Gardevoir Shampoo' on 38 Commercial Street."
The line went silent for a moment. "Pokémon crimes, you say? Can you confirm the address?"
"Yep! 38 Commercial Street. Big neon sign, can't miss it. They're, uh... let's just say they've got a Gardevoir in there that didn't exactly apply for the job, if you know what I mean," David said, nodding as if the guy on the other end could see him.
"Understood. Officers are en route," the voice replied with grim professionalism.
David hung up and exhaled. "Man, who knew doing the right thing would feel so... convenient?"
But there was no time to bask in his own self-righteousness. The cops were coming, and he still had to find Ralts before everything turned into a full-blown sting operation.
"Pikachu," David whispered, pulling his little yellow partner out of his backpack. "We're going stealth mode."
Pikachu stared back at him blankly, blinking twice.
"Look, just follow me and try not to zap anything important, all right?"
Pikachu shrugged—well, as much as a rodent could shrug—and climbed onto David's shoulder. David slipped out of the room, keeping his footsteps light and ears perked.
The second floor was mostly empty now, with the staff either out front or prepping for their "services."
David had already mapped the place out in his head from his little tour earlier. He moved quickly, ducking past empty rooms and glancing through cracked doors. One room had a man snoring loudly on a massage table, drool practically creating a puddle beneath him.
Another room was filled with crates marked with shipping labels, but nothing that screamed "secret Pokémon hideout."
Finally, as he crept past a narrow hallway, David heard it—a soft, delicate cry.
"Lalu~"
He froze, practically pressing his ear against the wall. "That's it," he whispered, eyes wide. "That's Ralts!"
Pikachu's ears perked up, too, and he gave David a nod of confirmation.
David traced the sound to a door at the end of the hall. Unlike the others, this one had an actual lock on it, the kind you'd expect for storage—not for holding a Pokémon. David leaned in, squinting through the thin crack in the door.
There it was—a small, pale Pokémon with a green helmet-like cap and red horns, moving nervously and struggling. Its eyes were squeezed shut, and it seemed to be whimpering softly.
"Gotcha," David whispered, his grin widening.
But just as he was about to figure out how to crack the lock, another sound came from the next room over—a louder, more aggressive cry.
"Gardevoir!"
David jumped back, heart racing. "Whoa, they weren't kidding. Gardevoir's in there too." He glanced at Pikachu, who looked just as startled. "Guess we've got two for the price of one."
David looked back down the hallway, still clear. He exhaled slowly. "Okay, Operation Ralts Rescue is a go. Let's get you out of here before the cavalry arrives."
But first... he needed to figure out how to pick a lock. Or, as David preferred to call it: Improvised Door Management.
He looked at Pikachu. "You know how to pick locks?"
"Pika?" Pikachu tilted its head.
"Yeah, me neither," David sighed. "Guess we're going old-school."
He cracked his knuckles and took one last look around. "Okay... let's save a Ralts and blow this place wide open."