Chapter no.375 Life on the Streets

[ POV Change ]
[ Celadon City - Hotel ]
As they entered the Celadon City Hotel, Austin couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The lobby was eerily silent, with only the soft hum of the air conditioning breaking the stillness. The receptionist looked up as they approached, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of Austin's helmet.
"Welcome to the Celadon City Hotel," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "Can I help you with something?"
Austin nodded curtly, his eyes scanning the room for any signs of danger. " Oh, it's nothing, I was just going back into my room," he said, his voice low and steady.
Lucario and Pikachu stood guard, their sharp senses alert for any signs of danger.
" Well, have a good day; sir." The receptionist exclaimed as they nodded and walked away
As they walked to the stairs, Lucario turned to Austin and muttered, "That receptionist is someone else wearing a Ditto as a disguise."
Austin nodded, his eyes flickering to the Ditto disguised receptionist.
Austin made his way down the empty hallway to his room. It was silent, except for the sound of his boots echoing off the walls. He stopped at a painting and looked up at the ceiling before narrowing his eyes as he sat down before placing a retracted PokeBall in the corner before continuing towards his room.
As he walked, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The air was thick with an almost palpable sense of danger, and he couldn't help but wonder what was waiting for him behind his hotel room door.
Suddenly, a giant fist crashed through the door, breaking it into splinters. Austin leapt back, his hand going to his belt as Lucario and Pikachu stepped in front of him, ready to fight. It was Electivire, a powerful electric-type Pokemon, and it was clear that he wasn't here to make friends.
As Austin looked on in horror, he saw that the room he was staying in had been rummaged through. His belongings were strewn all over the floor, and it was obvious that someone had been searching for something.
An old trainer stood beside Electivire, his face twisted into a snarl. " Would you mind coming with me, boy," he spat.
Austin's helmet's shield glowed crimson as he narrowed his eyes, his voice cold and controlled. "Where are they?" he demanded, his hand still hovering over his belt.
.....
[ Celadon City ]
The city of Celadon was a maze of streets and alleys that stretched out beneath the moonlit sky. The bright lights of the neon signs illuminated the city, casting a flickering glow on the faces of the passersby. Among the bustling crowds was Erika, clutched a small purse tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white with the pressure.
As she walked, Erika's thoughts raced through her mind. She found herself stranded in the city with only a hundred dollars to her name. She knew she had to find a place to spend the night, but the thought of sleeping on the streets filled her with dread.
Some one of her class, sleeping on the streets ?!
As she made her way through the city, Erika spotted a sign that read "Comic Book Cafe." The thought of a warm bed and a roof over her head filled her with hope, and she quickened her pace towards the cafe. She pushed open the door, and the sound of bells ringing greeted her ears. The interior of the cafe was dimly lit, and Erika could see several people sleeping on the couches and floors. She approached the counter and spoke to the owner, a gruff man with a bald head and a thick beard.
"How much for a room?" Erika asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Three pokedollars for six hours," the owner replied, his voice low and gravelly.
Erika handed over the three dollars, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. She settled down on one of the couches, pulling the blanket over her body. The smell of stale coffee and cigarette smoke filled her nostrils, and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. The couch was worn and uncomfortable, and Erika couldn't help but wonder how many people had slept on it before her. She closed her eyes, hoping to drift off to sleep, but her mind was too restless.
As the night wore on, Erika began to hear strange sounds coming from outside the cafe. The sound of footsteps and muffled voices filled the air, and Erika's heart began to race with fear. She got up from the couch, peering out of the window. The street outside was deserted, but she could see a group of shadowy figures lurking in the shadows. They were whispering to each other, and Erika could hear the sound of bottles clinking together.
She backed away from the window, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew she had to stay alert if she wanted to survive the night. She settled back down on the couch, her eyes darting around the room. She noticed several other people sleeping on the couches, and as the youngest daughter of the Amano family she would felt disgusted in this place but now in their shoes, her heart went out them.
Was this what living in the real world was like ?
As she lay there, lost in thought, Erika's eyelids began to droop. The sound of her own breathing filled her ears, and she felt her body relaxing. She drifted off to sleep, her mind finally at peace.
Several hours later, Erika was awoken by the sound of someone shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes, blinking in the bright light. The cafe owner was standing over her, his face contorted in anger.
"Time's up, miss. You can't stay any longer," he growled.
Erika rubbed her eyes, trying to gather her thoughts. "Two more hours, please," she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.
"That'll be a dollar," the owner said gruffly, holding out his hand. Erika nodded, reaching for her purse, but it was nowhere to be found. Panic set in as she frantically searched through her pockets and the surrounding area.
"My purse! It's gone!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in alarm.
The cafe owner's face twisted in suspicion. "What do you mean, gone? Did someone take it?"
Erika shook her head, her mind racing. She had no idea where her purse could be. Had she left it outside? Or had someone taken it while she was sleeping?
The cafe owner scowled, clearly annoyed. "I'm sorry, miss, but you'll have to leave now. I can't have thieves in my establishment."
Erika stumbled to her feet, her heart heavy with despair. She had no money, no place to go, and now no way to get back on her feet. She stumbled out of the cafe, the cold night air biting at her skin.
As the pampered and entitled Erika stepped onto the gritty streets of the city, she finally got a taste of the real world.
It was hell !
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[ Omake Paragraph ]
Although a Pineco's life is long by the standards of bug pokemon, like human life it is finite. Pineco live most of their lives hanging on or bouncing across trees, growing larger, until they can no longer hold on, drop to the ground, and explode to their deaths. Pineco are remarkable, however, in that they can escape death through evolution, for the mechanized body of a Forretress does not age and can survive many blows, even its own explosion, and can only be slain through fire.
Pineco are even more remarkable in that, although many grow powerful enough to have the opportunity to evolve and live forever, they are sharply divided on whether to actually do so. For Pineco, evolution is an enormous dilemma fraught with indecision. Forretress are a species of great procrastinators, robbed of any urgency in life by the fact of an eternal tomorrow, and they waste away in hedonistic, often vicious pleasures like laying spikes in the forest and making other pokemon walk across them while they shoot gyro balls at them. Nor does refusing to evolve mean immediate death, and when at death's door, it is often too late for evolution.
Whichever decision a Pineco makes, it is often fraught with regret. The forests where Pineco grow do not burn easily, and many Forretress, unable to simply explode, go on long journeys in search of fire. And although the dead can not voice their regret, the old, weak, and dying often wish for evolution in sheer terror at the thought of their life's end.