The group left amid bitter complaints. They had come in high spirits and returned disappointed.
Tetsuya counted the money… a little over four thousand Pokédollars in cash. He had even earned himself the title of "thief".
Tetsuya directly gave two thousand to Catherine. After all, the two of them were independent individuals, and there would be times when they could not stay together.
"Looks like we need to change locations."
Tetsuya smiled helplessly.
"Let's go. Those fossils will definitely call the police after they get back."
Exchanging a smile, the two once again rode Golurk and Skarmory toward the edge of village.
---◓---
The boundary between urban and rural areas was often the most chaotic part of a city. All kinds of people gathered there. Many shady businesses that could not be brought into the open could be found there, and it was also a place where red-light establishments were concentrated. In any case, it did not affect the city's appearance, so the authorities usually turned a blind eye.
Although it was nighttime, the area was brightly lit. Food stalls, bars, and all kinds of specialty snacks lined the streets. People from every walk of life were out and about.
They found a hairdresser, and Tetsuya and Catherine both had their messy, tangled hair cut. Just washing their hair alone used an entire bucket of water.
Their hairstyles finally returned to those of normal people, though the price was doubled.
After getting their hair cut, they finally looked somewhat presentable. Catherine's facial features were now fully revealed. Although her complexion was somewhat weary, she possessed a natural beauty. A pure natural beauty.
After that, the two split up.
The clothes they were wearing were already riddled with holes. Walking down the street, they looked like two little beggars.
Tetsuya walked into a menswear store. The sales clerk never approached him, let alone introduced any styles. They clearly did not believe Tetsuya was there to buy clothes.
Without spending time choosing, Tetsuya directly picked out two sets of clothes from top to bottom, inside and out. After roughly comparing them to his build, he took them straight to the register.
The clothing here was all cheap merchandise. Two complete outfits cost nearly a thousand Pokédollars. From the moment he entered the store until he paid and left, Tetsuya did not say a single word to the clerk.
With the two sets of clothes out of the store, he found Catherine coming out as well. She was also carrying clothing, so it seemed her experience had been much the same as his. Naturally, girls had more things to buy, and some of them were private items, so Catherine held everything tightly against her chest.
"Let's take a bath. We were soaked by rain for two straight days. Time to get rid of the chill," Tetsuya said.
"…And we're just going to spend money like this?" Catherine asked.
"This little bit of money can only be used for things like this. Tomorrow we can take a look around the Black Market. Once we sell either of the two Pokémon we're carrying, what does this amount of money even matter?"
After saying that, Tetsuya brought Catherine to a wooden bathhouse.
One room each. A bath to drive out the cold, keep warm, and relax. They soaked for a full hour. It felt as though the entire world had become peaceful. It had been more than four years since Tetsuya had enjoyed a bath like this. Under the best circumstances, he had only been able to heat some water and wipe himself down.
After the bath, there was even a professional bath attendant. While scrubbing Tetsuya down, the attendant chatted endlessly about all sorts of things, while Tetsuya was merely one of the many listeners.
Life was not easy. Some people always found their own ways to relieve stress…
After the scrubbing was finished, Tetsuya rinsed himself off. He felt as though his entire body was floating. It was as if he had instantly lost two pounds!
He changed into one of the new outfits. The old clothes could be thrown straight into the trash.
When Tetsuya came out, Catherine had not yet finished. He paid for both of them first and took the opportunity to sort through his backpack. The little food they had left was basically no longer edible, so Tetsuya threw it directly into a trash can.
With a creak, the door opened, and Catherine finally came out. She had changed into a completely new set of clothes. Shaking her hair lightly, she looked completely different from the beggar-like appearance she had before.
"Excuse me, boss, is there a inn around here? You know… the kind that doesn't require an ID Card?" Tetsuya walked up to the counter and asked, buying two bottles of drinks along the way.
The owner wore an expression that seemed to see through everything and let out two mischievous chuckles.
"I understand, haha~ There are plenty of those around here! Turn left when you go out and there's one in the alley. It's clean, affordable, and offers discounts for longer stays."
"Thanks!"
After saying that, Tetsuya was about to leave when he noticed Catherine's face had turned bright red, though she still acted as if nothing had happened.
"…Let's go."
---◓---
The two arrived at the inn the bathhouse owner had recommended. Although it was small, it was fairly clean. The people coming and going were all couples. Tetsuya and Catherine rented two separate rooms and booked them for five consecutive days, something the inn owner found impossible to understand.
The owner shook his head.
'What a decline in public morals…'
Tetsuya's and Catherine's rooms were next to each other. Both were single rooms. Though small, they had everything they needed, including a bathroom and a tv. After entering their rooms, they settled in.
Looking at the time, Tetsuya realized it was already ten o'clock at night. Only then did he realize they had slept through an entire day. Between that and the robbery, most of the day had already passed. Touching his empty stomach, he realized he had not eaten anything all day.
The food stalls at the night market were still crowded with people. Although the ingredients were far inferior to some of the Pokémon they had eaten on the island, the food here had an unique charm. The flavors of oil, salt, sauces, and seasonings made it feel as though they had finally returned to the human world.
After eating and drinking their fill, they bought some Pokéfood, a crate of milk, and a crate of nectar. It was enough food for their Pokémon to last about three days.
A place as small as the inn could not possibly accommodate all of their Pokémon, so they simply found an open area outside and released them all.
Each Pokémon's food was placed in front of it.
Beedrill, Houndoom, and Koffing, who had arrived in a city for the first time, curiously observed their surroundings. Crowds of people and dazzling lights filled the area. It was completely different from Shadow Island. Was this the world Mamoswine, Ditto, and Gengar had described to them?
"Eat first. You'll get used to it gradually. We've come back. We've returned to the mainland."
Ditto had not had milk for more than a year. It drank an entire bottle in one gulp, finding it exceptionally sweet, and immediately opened a second bottle without hesitation. The quality of this milk was far better than what could be exchanged for in the Shadow Team.
The Pokéfood they had bought was also of good quality. Both its taste and nutritional value far surpassed the food available through Shadow Team exchanges. This was especially true for Beedrill, Houndoom, and Koffing, who had never tasted such delicious food before.
After everyone had filled their stomachs, Tetsuya and Catherine returned to their hotel rooms.
Although they had slept throughout the day, the moment they lay down on such soft beds, their bodies seemed to melt. For four and a half consecutive years, they had slept outdoors and endured harsh conditions. Compared to that, this could already be called a life of comfort.
Drowsiness soon washed over them, and the moment Tetsuya fell onto the bed, he drifted off to sleep.
In his hazy sleep, he heard the sound of someone knocking on the door. Tetsuya checked the time and saw that it was already past eight o'clock.
"…Who could it be?" Tetsuya rubbed his eyes.