Chapter no.33 In the Salon

Vee sat uncomfortably on the grooming salon chair, dwarfed by its size.

The barber, a woman with short-cropped hair and a bright smile, assessed Vee's condition. Her apron was dotted with pockets, each holding an assortment of grooming tools.

Austin gave a whistle as if he hadn't been the cause of Vee's current state.

"Looks like a bit of a botched job," the barber observed, glancing at Austin before focusing back on Vee. "I can tidy it up around the sides. Maybe add a small faux fur piece if Eevee feels a bit shy about his appearance."

"That would be great, thanks," Austin replied, looking to Vee for approval. Vee, though hesitant, nodded his assent.

"Alright, let's get started," the barber said cheerfully. She gently placed a black grooming cape around Vee, ensuring he was comfortable before she began the corrective trimming.

Meanwhile, Austin settled into a nearby seat, his attention captured by the person next to him, largely hidden behind a broadsheet. As the newspaper lowered, the man's familiar features came into view. Austin's eyes widened slightly.

"Brock?"

Instantly, a hand clamped over his mouth. Brock, in a rudimentary disguise of sunglasses and a fake mustache, leaned in close.

"Talk. Outside."

Austin nodded subtly, and they both stood up to leave the salon. The groomer glanced their way momentarily but quickly refocused on Vee, skillfully continuing her work.

....

Outside the salon, Brock and Austin stood in a brief, uncomfortable silence before Austin decided to break it with a playful jab. "You know, the fake glasses and mustache combo isn't exactly a winning strategy for getting her number," he quipped.

"What?"

Austin pointed his thumb subtly towards the Pokémon groomer inside.

"I wasn't..." Brock started defensively, but Austin's doubtful look cut him off.

"You weren't going to ask her out?"

"Yes."

Austin just rolled his eyes and stared up at the sky, feigning exasperation.

"What are you doing?"

"Waiting for a portal to hell to open, maybe Giratina will jump out," Austin said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Who?" Brock asked, still lost.

"Jesus Christ, Brock," Austin sighed, shaking his head.

"Who's that?"

Austin snorted.

"Okay, in good faith, I'll believe you weren't hitting on her. So, what's up then?"

Brock whispered something initially too low to hear.

"What? Speak up," Austin pressed.

Brock cleared his throat.

"I wanted to see how Pokémon are groomed by a professional."

As he turned to make sure Austin was still there, he saw the door to the salon reopening.

Austin had already re-entered the salon and was asking the groomer, "Hey, can my friend watch you work?"

Brock's jaw dropped as he hurried to explain himself, jumping in before the groomer could react suspiciously. "I have a hobby as an amateur Pokémon breeder, and I wanted to see if grooming affects mating. I'm here to pick up some techniques," he said quickly.

The woman smiled and happily agreed, inviting them to watch her work her magic on Vee.

As they settled in, Brock said, "You're so blunt."

Austin chuckled, swinging his legs back and forth on the chair.

"You should be thankful. Otherwise, she might've thought you were up to something sketchy."

Brock sighed, accepting the truth in Austin's words.

The boy was right.

As they watched the groomer leave to fetch a piece of faux fur for Vee, Austin glanced at Brock, curiosity clear in his expression. "Brock, why the disguise?"

Brock shifted uncomfortably.

"I didn't want people recognizing me."

"Why's that?"

Brock hesitated, his eyes averting Austin's inquisitive gaze.

Sensing an opportunity, Austin ventured a guess, "You're worried about your siblings finding out you prefer breeding to battling, aren't you?"

The accuracy of the guess shocked Brock; his face momentarily betrayed his surprise. "How did you...?"

"Just a hunch."

"It's not that I dislike battling, but I have other passions," Brock clarified, his tone softening as he spoke of his true interests.

Their conversation paused as they waited for the groomer.

"How are things going with Flint?"

Brock's face hardened.

Not good. The boy thought.

"Brock, can I be blunt?" Austin asked after a moment as Brock gave an annoyed hum.

"I think you should consider forgiving Flint."

Brock turned sharply, his eyes narrowing. "And just forget the past?"

"No, not forget—just don't let it control your future," Austin explained, his hands raised in a calming gesture.

Brock scoffed, a short, derisive sound. "That's easy for you to say."

"Your siblings could really use their father around," Austin pressed on, perhaps too far.

That comment struck a nerve. Brock's hand shot out, gripping Austin's collar with sudden intensity.

"EeVee!" Vee barked a warning.

Feeling the mood shift and hearing the groomer's approaching footsteps, Brock released his grip and stepped back, his voice low and stern.

"You don't know enough about this to lecture me. Keep out of it."

Austin let out a deep sigh, the weight of his overreach settling uncomfortably on his shoulders. He had known Brock as a character from the anime, but here, in reality, Brock was not just a character; he was a living, breathing person with complex emotions and a history that Austin could only superficially understand. He recognized that he wasn't close enough to Brock to offer unsolicited advice or to presume he understood the mental toll that years of responsibility had taken on the young gym leader. It was a moment of realization that he had stepped too far, too fast, into personal territory that wasn't his to traverse.

"Sorry," Austin muttered, avoiding Brock's gaze. "I sometimes forget when to shut up."

"What connection do you have to my father?"

Austin met Brock's eyes, choosing transparency.

"He was my guide when I first arrived in Pewter City. He helped me out a lot. During my training, he tried to bribe me not to battle you. I think... I think he regrets a lot of things from his past. It seems like he wishes he could turn back time to fix his mistakes. Sadly, he can only try to mend what's broken now."

Brock listened, his initial shock gradually giving way to a complex swirl of emotions. Deep down, there was a flicker of relief, maybe even happiness, at the possibility that his father was genuinely seeking to make amends.

Maybe I should give Flint a chance, he pondered, his body language relaxing, leaning back against the chair with a contemplative look.

However, despite this new insight, one detail gnawed at Brock, holding fast amidst the whirlwind of thoughts. His father had attempted to meddle so directly in his life—bribing someone to dodge a battle with him. This revelation solidified a suspicion that had been lurking since the previous day.

"Are you Bag boy?"

Austin's heart skipped a beat, the sudden shift in conversation triggering a rapid internal assessment. How had Brock connected the dots? Was it mere coincidence or had information leaked? Austin’s mind raced through the possibilities—did others know too? The league? Giovanni?

Just as his thoughts threatened to spiral out of control, the groomer's voice cut through, grounding him. "What color do you think would look best?" she asked, unintentionally anchoring him back to the present moment.

"Let's ask Vee," Austin replied, using the distraction to regain some semblance of composure.

Brock’s probing question lingered in the air.

It was more than a question; it was gym leader testing a theory based on similarities and timelines that might have made sense to him. Austin realized the gravity of acknowledgment.

Internally, Austin weighed his options. Denial seemed the safest path. But how should he phrase it to be convincing?

"Who is that?" he decided, opting for feigned ignorance.

"Don’t you watch the news?" Brock pressed, evidently surprised. The boy was sharp, observant—why wouldn't he know about Bag boy?

"Wow, that's awesome and no, I don’t watch the news. Too boring for me; I’d rather focus on my battles."

Austin carefully tailored his responses, aiming to steer Brock's perception toward seeing him as tactically sharp on the battlefield alone.

"It's almost a week since our battle, why are you still hanging around Pewter?"

"I’ve been taking rock climbing classes at the Pewter City Indoor Climbing Center," Austin replied smoothly. "You can go ask them if you like."

"Why rock climbing?"

"Simple, I thought up a new training method for my Pokémon. I plan to have them climb the mountain ranges around Mt. Moon with weights tied to them," Austin explained, his enthusiasm for the subject bubbling over.

"You could easily just go through the tunnels, though."

"Yeah, but how could I do my super secret awesome training then?" Austin responded with an exaggerated, excited smile, playing up his persona.

Brock paused, his expression flickering between doubt and reconsideration.

Huh, maybe I got it all wrong.

Just then, a squeal from the woman drew their attention back to Vee. They looked over to see her fussing over Vee, now adorned with a blonde wig. The sight was absurdly comical, and both Austin and Brock struggled to hold back laughter. Vee dramatically turned his head, making the wig's long hair flow majestically like a golden fleece.

"Eevee!" Vee wiggled his eyes as Austin gave him a double thumbs up. Meanwhile, Brock seemed to drop his line of questioning, his earlier suspicions fading.

This naive, goofball, battle-focused kid couldn't be someone as ruthless and brutal as Bag Boy.