Chapter 35: Todd the Photographer
Today Lyra and her friends were in a city, but Tomo and Brock were not having a good time.
Today was Misty's favourite day of the year—Princess Day. Lyra didn't really care about it much. Princess Day was a day for girls, with shopping sales and discounts.
Brock and Tomo were feeling depressed. They had to carry all of Misty's shopping bags. They were happy that Lyra was not like that.
Misty went on a real shopping spree, dragging Lyra along everywhere she went. She bought clothes and shoes, hair clips, necklaces and bracelets, soft toys of Water Pokémon, and new swimsuits.
Lyra didn't really know what to buy, so she bought what interested her: four new backpacks for her next journey, some anklets with bells, bracelets with simple charms and bells, and choker necklaces.
Lyra didn't really have much fashion sense, so Misty bought her clothes and shoes, soft toys for her room—an Ivysaur, Venusaur, Charmeleon, Charizard, Wartortle, Blastoise, Gyarados, Kangaskhan, Dewgong, Ninetales, and a Pidgeot. She bought some for Tomo as well—a Growlithe, Kangaskhan, Poliwags, and Pikachu soft toys—and bought Rock-type Pokémon items for Brock's family.
Tomo was happy to have toys of his own and thanked his big sister for them.
For her mum, Julia, Lyra got a handbag, different perfumes, and some jewellery as well.
Lyra saw a Pokémon wind chime and bought eleven: a Growlithe and Poliwag for Tomo; Pichu, Pikachu, and Gyarados for herself; Butterfree, Bellossom, and Staryu for her mum; and Onix, Geodude, and Chansey for Brock.
Right now, they were at a café. Misty enjoyed eating anything sweet, like cream cakes and ice cream. Lyra ordered some for Brock and Tomo—they had to eat as well; they needed more energy for the day.
"Big Sister, I don't like this," Tomo complained. "Misty buys too many things."
"I know, Tomo," Lyra said, rubbing his hair. "But it's only for today, so try to be patient. At least we're buying things we need… almost." She trailed off, looking at the mountains of bags Misty got.
"At least Big Sis is not like this," Tomo said happily. "Thank you, Big Sis, for buying some things for me." He smiled.
"Yeah, Lyra, thanks for the Rock-type Pokémon stuffed toys and Pokémon wind chimes," Brock said. "My family is going to love it."
Lyra smiled. "You're both welcome," she said. "I didn't know what else to do, so I bought you guys some, and for our mum as well, Tomo."
Lyra hugged Tomo, and Tomo hugged her as well.
Jessie was having a good time on Princess Day too. She had bought a ton of beautiful clothes and makeup. She even bought a lot of food and jewellery. Poor James and Meowth had a hard time carrying the bags.
As they were taking a breather in the park, Jessie spotted a Lickitung.
Lickitung is a bipedal Pokémon with a round body and a thick, powerful tail. It has soft pink skin with curved yellow lines on its belly and yellow ring markings on its knees. It has a thumb-like claw on each hand and a single large nail on each foot. There is a yellow spot on its palms and the soles of its feet. It has beady eyes and a long, prehensile tongue.
"Hey, what's that?" Jessie asked.
"That's a Lickitung," James answered, looking at it in a Pokémon book. "It says here that its long tongue can leave its opponents paralyzed."
Hearing that gave Jessie a good idea. "I'm going to catch it," she said. "It may become useful to us." She threw one of her PokéBalls at the Lickitung and caught it with no trouble at all.
Back with the gang, Misty was checking out another clothes store.
Then suddenly, an announcement was heard. It was about the Queen of the Princess Festival Contest, and the grand prize was a Pokémon Princess Doll Set.
Of course, Misty and Jessie entered the contest. Lyra avoided the contest because she already had one at home, handmade by her mum and herself.
Soon, there was a long line of beautiful girls wearing kimonos on stage. Misty and Jessie were on stage too, wearing beautiful kimonos.
The announcer showed off the prize.
The Pokémon Princess Doll Set was beautiful. It held ten Pokémon wearing kimonos.
"I'm going to win that doll set," Misty and Jessie thought together.
The announcer then said that the contest wasn't just a beauty contest, but also a Pokémon battle contest. "You will need four Pokémon to battle."
Misty went to Brock and Lyra and begged them to borrow some of their Pokémon. Lyra was a bit reluctant at first because her Pokémon were quite strong, but after seeing Misty's pleading look, she agreed. Brock agreed as well. So Misty's team was Pikachu, Ivysaur, Vulpix, and Starmie.
"So I take it that you want the Pokémon Princess Doll Set, right?" Lyra asked.
"Yes, I do," Misty answered. "The truth is, while I was growing up, my sisters got their own doll sets, and all I ever got were their hand-me-downs. By the time I got them, they were all broken and shabby. So now I will be getting a Pokémon Princess Doll Set of my very own."
Lyra, Tomo, and Brock felt sorry for her.
She looked at Lyra. "Hey, Lu, why aren't you entering the contest? You avoided it pretty well."
"I have my own Pokémon Princess Doll Set," Lyra answered bluntly.
"What? How? When?" Misty asked.
"I made it with my mum," Lyra explained. "When I was little, I normally didn't do anything girly, but I liked making things. So my mum brought me kimono-pattern fabrics and materials. The stuffed toys I buy, I make my own clothes for them with her help, and the Princess Doll Set—I handmade it with the Pokémon I wanted on it."
Misty, Brock, and Tomo were dumbfounded.
Tomo was the first to snap out of it. "Wow, amazing, Big Sis!" he exclaimed happily. "Can you make me one too? A Prince Doll Set?"
Lyra looked at him. "Of course I can. When we go back to Pallet Town, I'll make it," she said with a smile.
Tomo hugged her, saying "thank you" over and over again.
The gang wished Misty good luck, and Misty placed Brock in charge of looking after Togepi.
Thanks to the Pokémon she borrowed from Lyra and Brock, Misty defeated her opponents one by one, until at last she was now in the finals. Her last opponent was Jessie.
Jessie had never received her own Princess Dolls either as a child, so this was also her chance to obtain her own Pokémon Princess Doll Set. Jessie's team was Arbok, Weezing, and Meowth. Pikachu defeated those three one by one. Jessie felt like giving up, but Meowth reminded her of Lickitung.
"Oh yeah," Jessie said. "I nearly forgot. Go, Lickitung!"
Misty was amazed that Jessie had a new Pokémon.
"That's a new one," Lyra said.
Lickitung, the Licking Pokémon.
Its tongue, twice its body's length, moves around freely to catch prey. Its licks cause a tingling sensation.
"This may be trouble for Misty," Lyra said.
But it wasn't really, because Pikachu was dodging Lickitung's lick attack. Misty grew frustrated and told Pikachu to use Protect to block the lick attack.
Misty remembered seeing Pikachu and Pichu training with attacks.
"Now Pikachu, use Hidden Power, then follow it with Iron Tail!" she shouted. Pikachu had white floating orbs around its body, then it hit Lickitung's tongue, making it dizzy, and then Pikachu struck it with Iron Tail. "Now finish it with Thunderbolt!"
The Thunderbolt blasted Lickitung into Team Rocket and sent them blasting off again.
Misty squealed with joy that she had won the contest and the Pokémon Princess Dolls. She thanked Lyra and Brock for their Pokémon and collected her prize. Then she sent her new clothes, toys, accessories, and her new doll set to Cerulean Gym, and Lyra sent her things to Pewter Gym for Brock and Pallet Town toward her house.
"I can't wait to see my sisters' faces when they see my new Pokémon Princess Doll Set," Misty smirked. "This will make them jealous."
So everyone was happy in the end.
Misty had won her own Pokémon Princess Doll Set, and Brock and Tomo were relieved that Princess Day was finally finished.
A week after Princess Day, the gang were now in a forest. Lyra was training her Wartortle, Golduck, and Shiny Gyarados, Triton. She knew that the Cinnabar Gym used Fire types, and she had decided to use Wartortle, Golduck, and Gyarados.
"Your Water Pokémon look great, Lu," Misty said.
"Thanks, Mist," Lyra replied. "Hey, I know. Let's have a battle between my Wartortle and your Squirtle."
"Good idea," Misty said.
So Misty and Lyra had a mock battle with Wartortle and Squirtle. In the process, both Lyra's and Misty's Squirtle learned Aqua Tail and Bubble Beam from Lyra's Wartortle.
Just then, Lyra's Wartortle evolved into Blastoise, and Misty's Squirtle evolved into Wartortle.
"Oh wow, double evolution," Misty said, looking at her Wartortle.
"Yeah," Lyra said, looking at her Blastoise.
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