Once the destination was confirmed, Angie led the group on their way.
Before long, they arrived at a clothing store called "Azure Haven."
"Welcome!"
As they stepped inside, a cheerful hostess greeted them with a professional smile.
Almost immediately, three flamboyantly dressed Pokémon strutted forward and began dancing without a word.
Snap, tap, snap, tap, snap-tap-snap!
The three Pokémon swayed their hips and moved with feather-light steps. Their spins and leaps were perfectly synchronized, as though they had been cast from the same mold.
Such an abstract dance—true to the form of dancer Pokémon, the Ludicolo Trio!
Angie suddenly remembered that the Ludicolo was the mascot Pokémon of Azure Haven. Apparently, the store's founder had started with a Ludicolo as their first Pokémon, and the store's name was inspired by the Pokémon's connection to the ocean.
When the Ludicolo Trio concluded their performance, they bowed elegantly to Angie and the others. The hostess followed up, saying.
"Visit Azure Haven twice a year, and you'll always feel brand new! Welcome to Azure Haven."
Angie: ...
"May I assist you with anything?" the hostess asked politely.
"I'm looking for formal wear suitable for a banquet," Angie replied.
"Of course. Please follow me," the hostess said, gesturing in a particular direction.
Angie nodded and signaled for his Pokémon to follow him.
For Munchlax and Drizzile, this was their first time in such a place. Their heads turned in every direction, their eyes brimming with curiosity as they inspected the surroundings.
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~~"
Look at that outfit. It's so weird, haha~
As they examined the store, Munchlax whispered excitedly to Drizzile.
"Drizzile~ Drizzile~"
Totally! And that one over there… haha…
The two Pokémon chatted in hushed tones until Angie turned back and said, "You two, keep up."
"Munchlax~"
"Drizzile~"
They scurried back to Angie's side.
Diancie, too, found the wide array of clothes fascinating. However, as a self-proclaimed royal lady, it wouldn't stoop to gawking like Munchlax and Drizzile—that would be far too undignified.
Before long, they arrived at the formalwear section. Display mannequins were clad in meticulously tailored garments that exuded opulence. Racks and shelves were lined with clothes of every color and style. Diancie, Munchlax, and Drizzile were dazzled by the selection.
The only exception was Komala, who continued to snooze soundly in Munchlax's arms.
"Angie, what do you think of this one?" Diancie asked, pulling a royal blue suit from the rack.
Hearing Diancie speak, the sales assistant gasped in astonishment and then curiously studied the Pokémon.
Noticing the attention, Diancie responded with a graceful smile. The sales assistant clutched her chest dramatically, feeling as though Cupid's arrow had pierced her heart.
So cute!
Angie took the suit and held it up to himself. Diancie's taste was impeccable—the size was a perfect fit. However...
"Diancie, isn't this color a bit too flamboyant?" Angie asked hesitantly.
"Is it?" Diancie tilted its head, confused. It thought the royal blue complemented Angie's dazzling golden hair perfectly!
"Alright, let's try another one."
Diancie put the suit back reluctantly. Though it liked the suit, Angie's preferences took priority.
Next, it grabbed a black suit and held it up against Angie, but no matter how it adjusted the angle, Diancie was dissatisfied.
"If only we had more time—we could have a custom outfit made," Diancie lamented.
The sales assistant overheard and smiled, chiming in, "We do offer custom services, so you're welcome to try that next time."
Angie replied with a polite smile, "Thank you, we'll consider it for the future."
Diancie spent quite some time deliberating. Ultimately, it put the black suit back.
"This one's too old-fashioned."
Then it selected a light gray suit, only to shake its head again after comparing it to Angie.
"Still not right—too understated."
Angie: "Being low-key is good! We're not the main characters here."
"That won't do," Diancie retorted. Her eyes swiftly scanned through the suits before finally landing on a white one. Her eyes lit up as she grabbed it. "How about this one?"
Angie frowned slightly, muttering under his breath, "Isn't it a bit too flashy?"
"Flashy? Not at all! I think it suits you perfectly!" Diancie countered, then turned to Munchlax and Drizzile. "What do you two think?"
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~~"
So handsome! Master looks amazing in it!
Munchlax clapped enthusiastically.
"Drizzile~ Drizzile~"
Stylish! Very stylish!
Drizzile gave a thumbs-up.
"Really?" Angie asked skeptically.
The sales assistant chimed in, "You could always try it on, sir."
"Exactly! Go try it on," Diancie urged, pushing Angie toward the fitting room.
Helpless, Angie went into the fitting room and quickly changed. When he stepped out, he was dressed in the white suit, his tall and slender figure exuding elegance and charm, like a prince straight out of a fairytale.
"So handsome!" The sales assistant's eyes widened in amazement.
"How does it look?" Angie asked, feeling a bit self-conscious as he adjusted the buttons on his chest. In both of his lives combined, he'd never worn something this formal.
"Fantastic!" Diancie declared with satisfaction. Her impeccable taste was evident.
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~"
So good! Master looks incredible!
Munchlax clapped fervently, nearly shaking Komala awake from its nap in his arms.
"Drizzile~ Drizzile~"
Stylish! So stylish!
Drizzile enthusiastically echoed the praise.
The sales assistant approached and said, "Sir, white suits you perfectly. This outfit seems tailored just for you."
"Really?" Angie asked, still unsure.
"Absolutely. Trust my professional eye," the sales assistant replied confidently.
"Then... should I go with this one?" Angie turned to Diancie, Munchlax, and Drizzile.
"Munchlax~"
"Drizzile~"
Diancie, Munchlax, and Drizzileall nodded in unison.
"Alright, this it is." Angie went back to the fitting room, changed out of the suit, and handed it to the sales assistant. "Please wrap this up."
"Of course, sir." The assistant passed the suit to another colleague and asked Angie, "Would you like to select a tie as well?"
Oh, right, a tie.
Following the sales assistant's guidance, Angie and his companions selected a wine-red tie. The combination of the white suit and red tie created a striking contrast that everyone agreed looked amazing.
After purchasing the tie, Angie asked, "Do you have clothing for Pokémon here as well?"
"Of course," the sales assistant replied with a smile. "At Azure Haven, we have designers who specialize in creating outfits for Pokémon. Whatever you envision, we can make it happen!"
That's a bit over the top, Angie thought, but he had to admit it was impressive.
Angie said, "Please show us the way."
"Right this way, sir," the sales assistant replied, leading them to the Pokémon apparel section.
While Angie and his group were browsing Pokémon outfits, the boutique's doors opened again, and a family of three walked in.
The parents, likely in their thirties, were both dressed in white lab coats. Their child, about eight or nine years old, carried a backpack, and a Mabosstiff followed closely by their side.
"What on earth! Suddenly deciding to throw a banquet out of the blue. I hadn't heard a thing about this before—I'm so busy!" the wife grumbled.
"Don't be like that. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Basic social events should be attended," her husband gently reminded her.
"Ugh, fine!" The wife ruffled her light brown hair in frustration. "Then let's hurry up, pick something, and head back!" With that, she strode purposefully into the store.
Seeing her march off, the husband quickly called to their child, "Arven, keep up!"
The child, addressed as Arven, hurried to follow, carrying a backpack while an Arcanine proudly trotted alongside.
Just like when Angie and his group had entered, the family of three paused to admire the energetic dance performance by the Ludicolo trio.
Meanwhile, Angie was busy helping his four Pokémon select their outfits. Diancie, Munchlax, Komala, and Drizzile all emerged from the fitting rooms together.
Diancie wore a white, translucent blouse on its upper body and a pale pink gown adorned with gemstone accents on the lower half, making it look every bit like a royal princess.
Munchlax donned a white suit, though it had no pants, resembling Angie's outfit almost exactly.
Drizzile sported a light blue suit with a bowtie at the collar and tailored shorts on its lower half. Surprisingly, it looked quite dashing.
Komala, nestled snugly in Munchlax's arms, wore a black suit with a white bowtie at the neckline, creating an unexpectedly stylish appearance.
Angie scrutinized Munchlax from head to toe. "Munchlax, why didn't you button up?"
Munchlax tugged at its suit and muttered pitifully, "It's... too tight!"
As it spoke, Munchlax puffed out its belly, which swayed left and right like a water-filled balloon.
Angie stepped forward and patted its round belly, half-laughing, half-exasperated. "You're really giving the clothes a hard time, huh?"
Given Munchlax's habit of overeating, combined with its Thick Fat ability, it wasn't exactly the clothes' fault for not fitting properly.
Angie turned to the sales assistant and asked, "Do you have a larger size?"
The sales assistant hesitated. "For other outfits, yes, but this style is already the largest size."
Hearing this, Munchlax looked utterly crestfallen.
Sniffle sniffle.
It wanted to match its master's outfit so badly!
"Munchlax, how about we pick something else?" Angie suggested gently.
"Mmm..." Munchlax hugged Komala tightly and nodded reluctantly.
Everyone else had found outfits they liked, but it was the only one left out...
Finding clothes suitable for Munchlax proved challenging, but Angie eventually settled on a blue-and-white ensemble that complemented Munchlax's deep blue fur beautifully.
When the assistant brought over their packaged purchases, Munchlax still looked downcast.
Angie, noticing this, suddenly feigned frustration. "Oh no, I've been thinking, and I feel like white is too frivolous. How about we go back and pick another one?"
He shot a meaningful glance at the sales assistant, who, being quite experienced, caught on immediately. "Of course! Please follow me, sir."
"Alright then!" Angie pretended to grumble as he returned to the men's formalwear section.
After some browsing, Angie picked out a blue-and-white suit. "This one! I think this suits me better."
He tried it on in the fitting room, and the size was perfect. It looked just as sharp and dashing as the white one.
When Angie stepped out in the blue-and-white suit, Munchlax's eyes sparkled with excitement. The outfit matched its own perfectly—it was like they were wearing a parent-child ensemble!
"Munchlax, how is it? Does it look good?" Angie asked as he approached Munchlax.
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~"
Good, good! Master looks the best!
Munchlax's mood visibly brightened.
"Really? I think so too," Angie replied with a grin.
He then returned to the fitting room to change out of the suit and handed it to the sales assistant. "Wrap this one up."
The assistant smiled brightly. "Of course!"
Though Angie had picked out a new suit, he hadn't returned the white one from earlier. With double the sales made, how could the assistant not be happy?
With their purchases in hand, Angie and his group prepared to leave the Azure Haven.
Leading the way, Drizzile walked alongside Munchlax, who was still holding Komala in its arms. Having fulfilled its wish of matching outfits with Angie, Munchlax was visibly delighted, chatting animatedly with Drizzile and bouncing with tiny, joyful steps.
Following behind, Diancie couldn't help but comment, "You spoil it too much. I still think the white one looked better."
Though Angie had also bought the white suit, it was clear he wouldn't be wearing it to the banquet anymore.
Glancing at the cheerful Munchlax, Angie smiled warmly. "What does it matter? Just look at how adorable Munchlax is."
"Hmph~" Diancie turned her head away, refusing to look at him.
When Angie and his group reached the boutique's entrance, they bumped into the family of three from earlier.
Initially, neither side paid much attention to the other, but when the wife noticed Diancie standing next to Angie, she gasped in astonishment.
"Is that... is that the legendary Diancie?"
Her husband wore an equally shocked expression.
"Excuse me... sir!" the wife called out hurriedly to Angie.
Surprised, Angie turned around with a puzzled look. "Are you calling me?"
"Yes," the wife said, stepping quickly toward him. Her husband followed close behind, while their child trailed behind them with a long sigh.
"Is there something you need?" Angie asked, observing the couple. He had the odd feeling he'd seen them somewhere before.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sada," the wife said. She then gestured to her husband and child. "This is my husband, Turo, and our son, Arven."
Upon hearing this, Angie suddenly realized why they looked familiar. So they were Professor Sada and Professor Turo! No wonder he felt like he'd seen them before.
But wait—wasn't this supposed to be the world of the anime? Why were characters from the games here?
Then again, Angie thought about it and decided it wasn't that strange after all.
After all, there was no rule saying game characters couldn't appear in the anime. Gym Leaders and Elite Four members existed in both worlds, didn't they?
Still... why were Professor Sada and Professor Turo in the Azoth Kingdom?
Angie glanced at Arven and thought to himself, So this is what Arven looks like as a little kid in the anime!
Without betraying his thoughts, Angie calmly said, "Mrs. Sada, Mr. Turo, and little Arven, nice to meet you. My name is Angie."
The couple exchanged a glance before realization dawned on them.
Sada exclaimed, "You're... Prince Angie of the Azoth Kingdom?"