Erika POV
Part of running a business means that you need to keep track of everything that goes on within it; how much inventory you have, what sells the best, how many hours your employees work, and so on. When you also create your product from scratch and supply it to said business, it becomes even more bothersome. Then add on the responsibilities of being a Gym Leader, and you start to run into time management issues, which leads up to a solution.
Once a month, I stop taking challenges from the gym after lunch and head to my perfume shop down the street. I purposely placed the shop close to the gym instead of the market street or in the Undercity Market so that I can easily get to it on days like this. I know it is odd for an active Gym Leader to run a business, especially in a region like Kanto that sees a large influx of trainers each season, but I love flowers and all their scents, and I want everyone to enjoy them as well.
As I walk towards the shop after closing the Gym for the day, a warm breeze brushes against me, carrying the fresh yet mildly spicy scent of roses from a nearby bush. I take a deep breath, letting the scent fill my body and bring forth some memories from a simpler time. Before I ever started my journey, I lived in Johto with my grandmother.
My grandmother was an expert in the art of ikebana, causing my earliest memories to be filled with flowers, from how they look and smell to how they can be arranged and presented. Not every presentation was visual, as your sense of smell is just as important, and creating arrangements based purely on smell is a skill on its own. A skill I took and brought into my own, using the tips and tricks she taught me. It wasn't until I started my journey with a few close friends that I started experimenting and produced my first bottle of perfume.
A soft smile graces my lips as I remember how poor my first attempt was, however that was when my skills started to grow, and my perfumes became popular along with me during my travels, until I was offered a position as a Gym Leader some years later. It wasn't long after I arrived in Celadon City that I set up my little shop and expanded my business. Without all the traveling, I was able to spend more time experimenting and found that I can use the pollen from flower type Pokemon to create special effects.
I slip into my store using one of the side entrances and send a wave towards the girls working for me. My eyes linger on them as I appreciate their flower-like beauty for a brief moment before slipping into the back and into the store room. The room is filled with wide shelving units, made of a bright colored wood, with each shelf covered in bottles of various shapes and colors, each set as unique as the scent within. With a small sigh, I grab the hanging clipboard nearby and start taking inventory.
I probably could have used one of those new tablets that Devon Corp put out this year, but my traditional upbringing makes me appreciate the methodical, if slower, process of using a paper and pen. It only takes a couple of hours for me to finish going over the different workings and taking care of a few small issues before I head out of the storeroom and glance towards the front to find it filled with the deep orange light of the setting sun. My workers are just finishing their process to close up, and only a few minutes later, after a round of quick goodbyes, I find myself alone in the store.
I slowly stretch, feeling each muscle in my back tense and then relax, causing a small sigh of pleasure to escape my lips. I throw another quick glance around my quiet shop, making sure that everyone is gone, before really letting myself relax as I loosen my obi slightly, releasing the tautness of my kimono just enough for me to roll my shoulders without any pull. Feeling a bit more free, I turn towards my nearby lab and set about grabbing a few different ingredients.
In my experiments over the years, I have found that each Pokemon species produces unique scents that can cause various effects when combined. One of my experiments created my best seller, Cherisol, that can't even be found in Kanto, as all the product normally gets sent to Sinnoh due to the colder climate. Cherisol is a rather potent mix of finely ground Capsakid Teeth mixed with Sunflora pollen and steeped in Cheri juice. It produces a consistent warming effect on those who breathe the scent, resulting in it being used in most buildings.
I had recently gotten a new type of Florges pollen from Kalos, sent by one of my regular suppliers. They mentioned that it seemed to prefer a pink flower, rather than the five known colors they usually stick to. I had already been experimenting with it, and so far hadn't found anything truly different in my standard formulas, so it was time to try something new. Looking at my stock, I grab a single Roseli Berry, a tiny bottle of Pink Aprijuice alcohol for a base, and after a moment of hesitation, a pinch of cacao nips. Cacao is a newer plant that was found in the wilds south of Orre and is rather hard to get a hold of, but the smell it produces is absolutely divine.
Over the next hour, I slowly extract what I need from the Roseli and Cacao and mix them into a decanter filled with the Aprijuice alcohol before starting to heat them on the nearby hot plate. As the mixture begins to simmer, just before it can reach a boil, I add in the Florges Pollen and seal the flask with the distiller. A few seconds later, I am rewarded with the first drop of perfume.
"Sprit?"
A twinkling voice calls from right next to my ear. I will forever deny that I may or may not have screamed like a little girl. However, the suddenness of the sound causes me to jump, just as I was reaching over to adjust a valve to change the flow rate. This caused the unintended effect of knocking over my distillation setup, causing the heated concoction to spill everywhere.
"Crap crap crap!" I curse quietly as the sweet, rich scent of berries and chocolate fills the room instantly. I quickly grab a towel to clean up the mess as I look around for the culprit. It only takes me a moment to spot the tiny pink ball of feathers with a blue-gray beak that looks at me for just a second before darting out of the room as quickly as it can. I quickly shut off the hot plate and leave the towels to soak up the liquid as I chase after the Pokemon.
I spot it as it opens the door that I came through earlier and dashes into the alleyway with me only a few steps behind it. My chase ends in futility, as I watch the tiny pink ball dash over the roof of a nearby building. I let out a small sigh of defeat and turn to clean up the mess when I freeze as the world around me fades away, leaving behind a view that I don't think I will ever forget.
Standing there with a slightly lost look on her perfectly symmetrical face, stands a vision of absolute beauty. The silvery moonlight traces the clean lines of her curves, drawing attention to the snowy peaks of her breasts before cascading down to her tight abs. My eyes slide past the sensual curves of her hips and down the long, sculpted shape of her legs. I feel my throat going dry, and my heart starts to beat quickly, as my mind starts to catch up with my eyes.
A sudden movement out of the corner of my eye breaks my gaze away from her body. I feel my cheeks start to warm as I realize what I am doing. This is highly improper of me, but like a Butterfree to a flower, I have a hard time focusing on much else. M-maybe I should try speaking to her and find out who she is. I take a brief moment to straighten my hair before I silently step out from the alley and speak to her.
"Oya? What do we have here?" I ask as I try to push my Leader persona forward. I'm not sure if I could have spoken clearly otherwise. Was the night always this warm? It feels like the temperature has suddenly spiked.
"I…" Her voice seems to crack a little, like she strained it, though she quickly shifts to an almost whisper-like voice. "I was just taking a walk…" She says, her cheeks pink slightly. The faint blush causes my heart to skip for a moment, and for some reason, I want to see her blush more.
Somehow, I am able to hold a conversation with this stunningly beautiful, fae-like person in front of me. She seems so sure and confident as she stands there, not trying to hide her body from my sight. At first, I thought it might be due to the Royal Guardian, as I have noticed a few trainers wearing skimpy attire, yet if that was the case, she should not be aware of the relaxed ethics in the City. Yet much to my surprise, she isn't affected at all, so why is she naked!
I loosen my kimono slightly, hiding the action as I pose a question to her, trying to let in a bit more of a breeze, as for some reason the night seems to be getting warmer by the second. She mentions that Aura might be the reason she doesn't seem to be affected, and others in her group might not be as well. Interesting. I wonder if I can get her to test it with me… and maybe we can talk more after as well. I throw out my question to her, hoping she would agree, which she does, but she asks for something in return.
"Well… I want to have a gambling strip battle for our official gym battle." She says, causing my brain to stutter to a halt. I-I never thought about something like this being requested. Of course, the League allows us to make changes to our fights so we don't get bored, and I know of a few times a private bet has been made. This though… This is highly irregular, super impractical, and utterly improper. Then, why does the thought of doing a strip battle with her excite me so much? I feel a shiver of anticipation run through my body.
She gives me her reasons, which really aren't much in the grand scheme of things. I know my perfumes are popular, and if she wants one of my special ones, I see no reason not to give her one just for helping. I already have the perfect scent in mind for her and would love for her to wear it for me. N-not that she needs to wear it for me. It's actually the second part of her request that intrigues me. In my years of being a trainer and Gym Leader, I have seen potential Champions fame rise like a Pidgeot on a thermal, only to crash like a Golem at the bottom of a mountain due to not being able to handle the pressure. Having someone else manage for them is actually a rather good idea. Plus, I would be able to see her more. As I am debating the pros and cons of her request, I look down towards the ground. Feeling as though I have a solid answer, I look back at her and stretch out my hand.
"Alright, you have a deal," I tell her as my brain suddenly registers her current pose. She is currently squatting down far enough that she is nearly sitting on her heels. Instead of keeping her knees together, like a proper lady should, she actually has them spread wide, granting me an unrestricted view of her glistening flower. I don't know if it is the moonlight or what, but my mouth seems to go bone dry, forcing me to gulp noisily to try and rehydrate it. I feel my face flush completely, but I can't seem to tear my eyes away.
She takes my hand and slowly stands before stepping close to me. I look up into her stunning, glacial blue eyes as she leans closer, almost as if she is going to kiss me. My breath hitches as she whispers something into my ear with a chocolaty tone that sends a pleasant shiver down my spine, and a sound escapes my lips.
I flush scarlet again and fumble for my phone, which is in my obi. In my flustered state, I tug on my obi harder than I mean to, loosening it greatly before I get a hold of my phone to give her my contact information. A few moments later, and I now have her number saved, maybe I can text her later… I wonder how soon is too soon. As my mind runs through different ideas, we say our goodbyes, but just as she turns to leave, I suddenly feel something cool trace down my chest, only to end with another embarrassing sound escaping my lips. Before I can recover, she slips away down the street with her two Pokemon trailing behind her.
"Wait, Oak?" I ask myself as Frost's name finally registers in my mind. "As in Professor Oak?" Oh no…