We found Lilly a short while later in Victory Apparel—quality clothing at a reasonable price. Abra had led me right up to a fitting room whose curtain was drawn. I cleared my throat and spoke:
"Lilly, I've got everything I needed. Now I just need..."
Before I could finish my sentence, Lilly pulled back the curtain and stepped out to show herself. She was wearing a brown-and-green patterned outfit—practically camouflage. The sturdy, durable fabric felt high quality yet functional. With her hourglass figure, the clothes fit her perfectly.
"What do you think, Patrik? Does it suit me?" she asked with a broad smile.
"Sure, it looks good," I nodded without hesitation. "I'm just not sure if the camouflage is a good idea."
"Why do you think that? I'll blend in with the surroundings completely." Lilly raised an eyebrow.
"That's exactly why." I shook my head. "I'm no expert, but during survival class, our teacher told us that for amateur trainers, wearing clothes that blend in completely isn't always smart. A lot of Pokémon mostly use smell, but not all of them rely solely on it. If a Pokémon suddenly spots you up close, it might get spooked and attack. Sometimes it's better if they see you coming rather than having you pop up right in front of them."
I paused for a moment and looked at her outfit.
"That's why I mainly wear black and dark green... I'm not trying to blend in completely. I want to be visible, even at night."
"Well, I already have one dark set. And if you say I look good in this one, I'll take it too... maybe it'll come in handy sometime. Besides, with my blonde hair, I'll be seen from a distance anyway. Since we'll be together, they'll notice us sooner, so at least I won't surprise them," Lilly argued passionately.
I just shrugged my shoulders. I knew there was no point in arguing with a woman who had already chosen clothes she felt good in... and if it made her happy, it was worth it.
"Alright, Lilly. I'm going to find a good blacksmith outside the city center. So we'll meet up for dinner later, okay?"
"Wait, I'd like to go with you. A dagger would definitely come in handy for me too," Lilly replied. "I've got all the gear I need for the wilderness from Camp & Catch, and this is the last bit of clothing I'm buying, Patrik. So if you wait just a minute, I'll pay and we can go!"
"Hurry up then," I urged her.
She nodded with a smile, squeezed my forearm, and pulled the fitting room curtain shut. A moment later, a few thuds, an occasional muffled curse, and the sound of quick movement echoed from behind it as she rushed to change. When she finally stepped out, her hair was slightly disheveled, but a satisfied smile still glowed on her face.
She handed me the bags with the Camp & Catch logo right away.
"Will you hold these for me, please? Just until I pay." She gave me a look like my Houndoom's, so I could only nod helplessly.
She gave me a triumphant smile and headed to the register with the Victory Apparel clothes in her arms.
"Thankfully, you won't be wearing clothes, Abra," I muttered under my breath.
Abra patted my neck, which I took as agreement, and I headed outside to wait for Lilly in front of the shop.
I didn't have to wait long. She stepped out with another bag bearing the VA logo and a smile worthy of a celebrity.
"We can go, Patrik."
She reached out for the rest of the bags, but I shook my head.
"I'll carry that one too, if you want. It's not heavy," I offered.
Lilly gave me a smile, handed me the bag, and we set off at a leisurely pace.
"Do you think anyone will still be open at this hour?" she asked after walking for a moment.
"Sure," I nodded. "Argus in Pallet Town worked practically non-stop. Sixteen hours a day, in the heat. Tough guy."
I paused for a moment.
"I think that's how we'll find a good blacksmith, too... someone who truly loves their work."
The walk to the industrial district took only a few minutes. We passed two smithies—both locked up tight. The only sign of their craft was a hammer embossed above the gate. Otherwise, they were just cold, impregnable iron fortresses.
Only the third workshop, near the end of the industrial district and close to the water, was still open. Rising smoke gave it away. Even from a distance, the rhythmic clanking of a heavy hammer, the hum of bellows, and the hissing of water could be heard. The closer we got, the stronger the smell of heated metal, sulfur, and oil became.
Embossed above the open gate was the name "Borelli's Forge," alongside symbols of weapons, armor, and shields.
That was actually a great sign. Argus often lectured me on the quality of smithies. Every charlatan gave their workshop an epic name like Charizard's Forge or Magmar's Forge... but a true master craftsman didn't hide his name. And of course, there had to be symbols representing what they could make.
Even so, I suspected Argus preferred those symbols mostly because he was illiterate.
As soon as we stepped inside, we could see weapons of every imaginable kind covering an entire wall. Swords of various lengths and widths, daggers, spears, hammers, and scores of other arms. Below them, several shields were on display, and a little further along, a single full suit of armor stood on a mannequin.
That, however, hardly ever sold. Heavy steel armor in the Pokémon world was practically a death sentence... when facing Pokémon, mobility simply won out. So armor was mostly bought by history enthusiasts or collectors.
But weapons? Those were always in high demand.
A hulking man watched us from behind the counter. Dark eyes beneath prominent brows, a black ponytail, and a pointed beard reaching down to his chest gave him an almost beastlike appearance. He wore only a worn tank top and shorts.
He was exactly the kind of blacksmith who combined a massive beer belly with brutal strength. His arms were veiny and thicker than my thighs. He looked like a living mountain of muscle that someone had wrapped in a layer of fat.
Judging by his expression and appearance, I immediately concluded he was the master smith, perhaps even Borelli himself.
I can work with this, I thought with a smile, stepping straight toward him.
Only when I was right up to the counter did I notice a large open area to my left, where two other smiths were at work. Lilly walked behind me, taking everything in with lively interest.
"Good day, Mr. Borelli," I greeted him with a smile.
"Hey," he replied dryly. "What do you want?"
"I need a quality sword and dagger. My friend here just needs a dagger. Master Argus from Pallet Town had nothing but praise for your work..."
Of course, that wasn't true. Argus would sooner smash his own knees with a hammer than sincerely compliment another master blacksmith... but if using his name could get us better weapons, a fairer attitude, and maybe a better price, why not take advantage of it?
"Argus?" the smith muttered, a gleam appearing in his dark eyes. "We've got the finest weapons for miles around, kid."
He paused for a moment, then asked curiously, "Where do you know Argus from?"
"I helped him clean his shop for a few years, Master," I replied with a smile. "Picked up a thing or two."
"Funny that bastard is still alive," he chuckled with a rough, raspy laugh. "You looking for custom weapons or premade?"
"We don't have much time, Master. My Aron ate my old weapons, and we have to head out tomorrow... so something premade," I said with a faint smile.
Borelli gave me an amused smirk, shook his head, and then nodded.
"Am I right to assume you're looking for a one-handed sword?"
"Yes, Master."
A two-handed sword would be too unwieldy. I always needed one hand free for Poké Balls, so a one-handed sword was the ideal choice for me.
"Hold on a second," he grunted with a smirk and disappeared behind a screen.
The scraping of metal, thuds, and the occasional clatter echoed from back there until Borelli reappeared moments later. In his huge hands, he carried a pile of weapons, which he set down on the counter in front of us without the slightest effort. With quick movements, he sorted through the pile, separating the swords from the daggers.
I looked at him questioningly. But when he just nodded with an amused smile, I began inspecting the selection.
I immediately eliminated the engraved weapons and the ones encrusted with gems. I set them aside without a second thought. They were expensive and completely useless to us. Besides, they'd only draw unwanted attention... and not everyone who took notice would be content with just admiring them.
In the end, I narrowed my choice down to three swords. All of them looked exactly as I expected—like tools designed to do a job. No useless decorations, no flashy carving, no nonsense meant for showing off. Just a solid blade, a good hilt, and purpose.
Which meant a more reasonable price, too.
Ultimately, I reached for the longest one. Given my height, a longer blade simply suited me better. With a fluid motion, I drew the sword from its sheath and lightly weighed it in my hand.
I wasn't a professional swordsman, nor even an amateur one... but thanks to Argus, at least I knew what well-crafted metal looked like, and I could tell a good sword from plain junk.
I started by checking the center of gravity. I balanced the sword on my index finger just past the guard and watched how it behaved.
Perfect balance.
I moved on to the blade. I tapped it lightly with my knuckle, then ran a fingernail along it.
A clear, ringing tone echoed.
Good metal. Proper craftsmanship.
If the sound had been dull, hollow, or raspy, it would have signaled a problem.
"Argus taught you well," Borelli stated in his raspy voice.
His dark eyes were still watching me, but I couldn't read anything from them.
I just shrugged. I rested the tip of the sword against the ground and pressed down carefully on the guard. The blade flexed smoothly and then returned straight without any trouble.
Good, springy steel.
Next, I checked the hilt. It held firmly in place, not shifting even under a firmer tug.
Finally, I did a quick check down the line of the blade.
It was perfect.
"Price?" I asked.
"Twenty-two hundred," he answered with a smirk.
I looked at him.
"I thought you and Argus were friends."
Borelli just laughed in amusement.
"Two thousand..." he grunted at last. Then he snorted. "Argus is a bastard."
"A great bastard, though," I returned with a smile. "I'll take it."
Then I moved on to the daggers. I inspected those much faster.
For myself, I picked a medium-length dagger with a single-edged blade. While primarily designed for stabbing, it could still be used for slicing.
For Lilly, I chose a dagger about half that length, around twenty centimeters long. It was meant purely for thrusting. A simple stiletto with a narrow blade and a smaller grip suitable for a smaller hand.
Daggers required less material, less tempering, less grinding, and less balancing, so they were significantly cheaper. I paid four hundred Pokédollars for my dagger, while Lilly got her stiletto for free.
A single glance at the missing portion of her left arm was all it took for Borelli. The rough, giant man practically melted. His gaze softened, a genuine smile appeared on his face, and without a single word, he placed the stiletto down in front of her.
And so, after the discount, I paid a total of two thousand four hundred Pokédollars, while Lilly left with a smile and a short dagger in a sheath completely free of charge.
Just as we were walking toward our Pokémon Center, a notification chimed on my pokédex indicating that the healing process was finished. So we picked up our pace a bit. It had only been a few hours, but not having Houndoom's and Wartortle's Poké Balls on my belt felt genuinely odd and uncomfortable.
The whole way back, Lilly was overjoyed with the dagger like a little kid. She brandished it with a wide grin—fortunately always pointing away from me—completely ignoring passersby. People chose to give her a wide berth, sticking to my right side just to be safe.
Right before entering, I stopped her.
"Please put the dagger back in its sheath. We don't want them thinking this is an armed robbery." I gave her an amused smirk and walked inside without waiting for a reply.
Standing at the counter ahead of me was a guy with a Croconaw that reached almost to his chest. It was unusually tall and bulky for its species. Before I could get a better look at him, though, he finished up and left.
"Hello. I'm here to pick up my Pokémon—Houndoom and Wartortle," I announced, handing over my ID.
Nurse Joy nodded with a smile, scanned it, and promptly handed both Poké Balls across the counter.
I immediately clipped them onto my belt with a sigh of relief.
"They're both fully healed. Houndoom only had minor injuries, which we treated fairly quickly. With Wartortle, the situation was a bit more complex," she began to explain. "We treated his general injuries without issue, but during combat, tiny blood vessels in his eye burst, his intraocular pressure increased, and his cornea was damaged. Of course, we've sorted everything out, but for the next few days, his eye will be more susceptible to re-injury."
"So he's completely fine? How long can't he battle? And can he at least train?" I rattled off in a single breath.
Nurse Joy gave me an encouraging smile.
"Wartortle is completely fine and fully healed. However, as I mentioned, there's still a small risk. He shouldn't take part in any battles for at least a week. He can train, provided there's no risk of taking a hit to the eye. If that were to happen, the blood vessels could burst again, damaging the cornea, and without swift treatment, he could even lose his sight."
"That's fine. The main thing is that he'll be okay. Battles can wait," I nodded in relief. "So, one week. Is there anything specific I should keep an eye on?"
"No, you don't need to. Even in a battle, it's not guaranteed the injury would recur. I'm just warning you to be cautious."
"Understood. I'll be careful. Thank you."
"You're very welcome," she smiled back.
I returned her smile, and together with Lilly, headed upstairs toward the dining hall.
"Honestly, you look happier now that you have them back," Lilly observed.
I just shrugged in response as my Abra patted my neck again.
Over the last few days, she had been sleeping less, and her psychic power was steadily increasing. Just from her auric energy, I knew she was at a high enough level to evolve, and I expected it to happen soon. That is, unless she was deliberately holding her evolution back. She was clingy, stuck to me like a little koala. I probably wouldn't be able to carry a large Kadabra like this. Besides, ever since I bought her a comb a few hours ago, she had been diligently grooming her short fur using her psychic powers.
In the end, I was glad Alakazam had given me a female Abra. The neck pats were pretty nice, too.
***
Author's note:
I enjoy exploring the more grounded, practical side of the Pokémon world. Full plate armor might sound impressive, but against elemental monsters, mobility matters far more.
I also enjoyed writing Borelli. Despite looking like someone who could bend steel with his bare hands, he didn't hesitate to hand Lilly a free stiletto after noticing her missing arm. It was a nice way to show that, beneath all that muscle and gruffness, he's actually a softie.
After that, Lilly was understandably excited about her new dagger, while everyone else wisely kept their distance.
As for Wartortle, he'll be taking a week off from battles while his eye fully recovers.
***
Step into the Restricted Section
The shadows are shifting, and the story goes much deeper... If you can't wait for the next update, Advanced Chapters are already waiting for you.
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Upcoming Chapters – Already Written(15):
52. Two Badges and a Persian
53. Steel, Silence, and Whispers
54. Steel and Blood
55. The Spoils of War
56. The Price of Survival
57. A Heavy Debt
58. Into the Dark
59. Where Dragons Feed
60. Heart of a Dragon
61. Time for a Training Arc
62. Shadows in the Thunder
63. Forging Champions
64. Avenge Me
65. High Voltage
66. Ruthless
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