It was already night when Victor arrived in Violet City. In contrast to the darkness of the forest, the city was brightly lit, showcasing the liveliness of a large city.
Unlike in the games Gold and Silver, or their remakes HeartGold and SoulSilver, which depicted a small, traditional Japanese town, Violet City was a large metropolis with over a million inhabitants. Of course, it was still far from the grand metropolises of Victor's former life, but in the Pokémon world, it was still considered a big city, even if it couldn't compare to Goldenrod or Saffron.
Upon entering the city and asking a few pedestrians, Victor managed to locate the nearest Pokémon Center.
When he arrived, he saw a large crowd of trainers gathered in front of a TV. As he approached the counter, Victor couldn't help but cast a curious glance at the crowd, wondering why they were all huddled there.
"He's going to win."
"Nothing's going to stop him from winning; after all, he has a type advantage."
"That doesn't matter; that old man has been challenged many times, and even when he had a type disadvantage, he still won."
"That's true, but I still think he's going to lose."
Hearing the discussions, Victor moved closer to the counter.
At the counter, he found Nurse Joy, with her iconic pink hair, organizing some documents.
Knock, knock, knock.
Gently tapping on the counter, Victor caught Nurse Joy's attention. She looked up, directly at him.
"Hi there, sweetheart. How can I help you?" Nurse Joy asked in a kind and welcoming tone, giving Victor a gentle smile.
"I think Nurse Joy from Purple City might have called earlier to let you know I'd be coming," Victor replied, scratching his head, still a little embarrassed about why he had ended up there.
"Oh, you're the boy who was carried down the river," she said as a look of understanding crossed her face. She glanced around more seriously and then whispered to him, "My cousin, Nurse Joy from Purple City, told me you were swept down the river toward our Violet City. She also asked us to let you spend the night here at the Pokémon Center while you wait for your grandfather to pick you up tomorrow."
"So, can I stay?" Victor asked, looking at the crowd, concerned about whether there would be room for him to sleep in the Pokémon Center.
Noticing Victor's gaze, Nurse Joy smiled and began explaining why everyone was gathered there.
"They're trainers here to watch Bruno's challenge for a position in the Elite Four. Most of them are local trainers who live here in the city, just here to join in the fun and watch the show alongside trainers who came from outside. So, you can stay here for the night."
"I forgot about that; it's happening tonight!" Victor said, mouth agape, realizing he had forgotten something so important.
'Damn, how could I forget that? I was so focused on training Sentret.'
"But isn't the match starting in about three hours?" Victor asked, recalling the details about tonight's match.
"Yes, they're here to watch the pre-game. More trainers are still arriving. Some are at the night bazaar happening at a square nearby," Nurse Joy said, resting her face on her hands in a relaxed posture.
"Hm? A night bazaar? Where is this square?" Victor asked, intrigued, while thinking about what to do until the match. 'Maybe I'll check out this bazaar; there might be something interesting there, but… seven hundred and seventy-five Pokédollars.'
Thinking of his extremely thin wallet, Victor felt a bit down, realizing he might not be able to buy much.
"Leaving the Pokémon Center, just go straight and turn right, and you'll find it," Nurse Joy said, looking at Victor and pointing in the direction he should go.
"Wait, I'll grab the key for your room." Opening one of her desk drawers, Nurse Joy took out a ring of keys, selected one, and handed it to Victor.
Taking the key, Victor looked at it. 'Room number thirteen, huh? Lucky or unlucky?'
"Thank you, Nurse Joy."
"You're welcome, sweetheart."
Casting another glance at the crowd as he left, Victor thought about how he would watch the match, considering the size of the crowd.
Leaving the Pokémon Center, Victor headed toward the bazaar, wondering what he would find there. Arriving at the bazaar, he saw a scene not so common in Purple City—trainers accompanied by their Pokémon sitting on the ground with blankets spread out in front of them, covered with items, some of which he recognized, and some he didn't.
Walking between the stalls, Victor saw a variety of items, from potions to special Poké Balls, like the Dusk Ball, and other odd items. His eyes sparkled as he looked around, taking in both the items and the trainers with their Pokémon.
Stopping in front of a trainer with blue hair and dark eyes, accompanied by a Pachirisu perched on her shoulder, Victor looked at her stall. He saw mostly berries and Apricorns, but also a few evolution stones, like Water Stones and Thunder Stones. However, they were of lower quality; high-quality stones were rarely seen in a street bazaar like this—they were usually sold at major auctions.
"How much do these evolution stones cost?" Victor asked, curious about the price, even though he knew he didn't have the money to buy them. This type of resource, like evolution stones, elemental gems, or naturally formed items, was typically expensive.
"The Water Stones, being of lower quality, cost about sixty-three thousand Pokédollars, while the Thunder Stones, also low quality, are rarer and more expensive, around seventy-five thousand. But I doubt a little boy like you has enough to buy them, hehehe." The trainer explained the price of the evolution stones, finishing with a sarcastic laugh.
'So expensive,' Victor thought in shock, listening to the prices. Hearing the sarcasm in her voice, he quickly recovered and said playfully, giving a thumbs up, "You're right, I don't have enough money, and with your attitude, you'll hardly make a sale."
After saying that, Victor quickly walked away, blending into the crowd as the trainer stood frozen, surprised by the little boy's response.
Continuing through the crowd, Victor kept looking around for something he could afford. Among the crowd, he also saw many Pokémon, from Kanto-Johto and other regions—Electabuzz, Venonat, Tangela, Quagsire, Murkrow, Noctowl, Delcatty, Plusle, Minun, the Pachirisu from before, and even a Probopass.
Looking around again, Victor spotted two familiar figures. 'Is that them? But what are they doing here? Why would they come to Violet City?'
Thinking about the two figures he saw, Victor stopped in front of a specific stall. An old lady sat there with a Sunflora by her side. Looking over the stall's items, he noticed a familiar item: a small spherical bell, tied with a small red cloth, with dozens of them displayed.
'Soothe Bell? I'll need that for the little one who's yet to hatch. I wonder how much it costs,' Victor thought as he glanced at the other items at the stall—a silk scarf, various berries, and some other handmade items.
"How much for this little bell? And the silk scarf?" he asked the old lady, noticing she was looking at him.
"Five hundred Pokédollars for the Soothe Bell, and twenty thousand for the silk scarf, young man," the old lady answered with a gentle smile.
'Such a price gap, wait!' As he thought about it, Victor realized something he had forgotten before, and wanting to be sure, he decided to ask.
"Why are the prices so different, ma'am?"
Noticing Victor's curiosity, the old lady replied, "The difference is because the Silk Scarf boosts the power of Normal-type moves, while the Soothe Bell is just a small decorative item that can calm Pokémon a bit. That's why it's so cheap; it doesn't have as much utility as the Silk Scarf."
'That's true; the concept of friendship evolution hasn't been well studied, so some evolutions are still unknown or very rare. That must be why this Soothe Bell is so inexpensive,' Victor thought as he held the bell in his hand and gave it a gentle shake, producing a soft chime.
Hearing the chime, Victor looked at Sentret and Marill, who seemed calmer than before.
'The calming effect is quite effective. I hope it's just as effective in increasing friendship, too,' Victor thought before saying to the old lady, "I'll buy one of these bells."
"Good choice, boy. The items in my stall are the best quality in the bazaar," the old lady said proudly.
After wrapping the bell, the old lady handed it to Victor as he paid.
Looking over the rest of the items, Victor decided to check out the other stalls, as he didn't have enough money for anything else.
As he left, he saw a large stall with what looked like a ball launcher in front of it. A few children and beginner trainers were gathered there; it seemed to be a kind of game.
'Interesting,'
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