Ross Goes Shopping

Why did I agree to this?

I've been getting restless - even though Capim Town is nice, there's... not a lot to do here for someone like me. Sure, I could go try make a name for myself as some sort of dashing explorer crossing unknown horizons, but I'm not much of a fighter. It's not even a personality issue, either, it's biological - apparently Smeargle are unique in that they don't learn how to do cool things like put people to sleep or launch plumes of fire or jets of water, we instead get to... draw. Supposedly a Smeargle can "sketch" a move and use it as it pleases, but I've not quite figured that out yet.

There's plenty of business around Capim Town too - lots of little shops and cafes etc, but with everything that's happened I think my resume is a little bit out of date by this point. I don't really need the money either - being part of the Clover Guild means that basic necessities are mostly taken care of. So I figured I'd try help around with the guild - earn my keep if you will. I asked around if anyone needed help, but everyone I asked seemed like they were managing fine. I can't draw, so there's not a lot I can do to help with cartography, and I can't cook, so I can't really help in the kitchen. The uhh... munchlax I think it was called, shouted at me the second I stepped into the kitchen. I get the impression that some of the other guild members can be a bit much at times for him.

As I started to walk back out of the kitchen, a voice called back out to me. "Wait!" I froze, and spun on the spot to see the Munchlax running toward me, a piece of paper in his hand. "Just don't want you makin' a mess in my kitchen - I know what your kind's like. Go get these for tonight's dinner." he said, thrusting the piece of paper toward me.

Finally, something I can do! I don't really get this new world, but I have hands and legs. I can do Doordash!

"Y-yes chef! I'll get right on that!" I yelled excitedly, spriting back out of the kitchen. If I'd have looked back, I'd probably have seen the munchlax shaking his head at the trail of paint I'd left in my haste.

I ran out of the guild building with renewed purpose, and started heading toward Capim Town proper. I'd spent enough time people watching (poke watching?) and bumming around to know the basic layout of the town, and found myself outside the Kecleon Shop in no time flat.

"Welcome!" beamed the Kecleon as I stepped over to the stall. I started to look over what was for sale, before remembering that I had a shopping list.

"Let's see here..." I mused, reading over the shopping list.

"Two Oran Berries". This doesn't make sense.

"(Oran... berry? The fuck's an Oran Berry?)" I thought to myself, an all too familiar feeling of panic already creeping in. "It says berry, so it must be some sort of fruit, right? I'm sure I can figure this out, I'll just have a look...". I glanced over at the stall again.

Everything was fruit. The only thing vaguely familiar to me were the apples at the end of the stall. Everything else on the stall was an unrecognisable array of color splotches that'd leaped right off an artist's palette. I had no idea where to even start beginning to process this.

"(Calm down and think, Ross. There's no need to get so worked up over some stupid fruit. This'll be easy, look. It says Oran Berry, so it must be this orange one, right?)" I reasoned to myself, starting to feel a bit calmer after giving myself a pep talk. I picked up a couple of the orange berries, before turning my attention to the next item on the list. "Three Apples".

"Alright, apples, I can handle that!" I yelled without thinking, the Kecleon tossing me a strange glance at my outburst. I picked up three of the apples, then looked at the last thing on the list.

"Three Perfect Apples.". The tiny glimmer of self confidence I'd managed to build up was snatched away from me instantly, and it took all I had to not fall to the floor in despair.

"What makes an apple perfect? These all look like apples to me!" I snapped.

"You want the ones that look a bit shinier. You need perfect apples, right?" said a voice from behind me. I looked around to see the Kecleon who was manning the store. The tone of his voice was polite, but the look on his face was screaming "Please finish your shopping and leave my shift ends in 15 minutes I don't want to have to deal with this."

"O-oh, these ones, right? Thank you." I said, grabbing three of the apples he'd pointed out. "Sorry for the uhh, outburst there, it's been a long day."

"I... see." The Kecleon said in that sickly sweet customer service voice. "Anyway, that'll be 8600 poke for everything."

I instinctively reached down toward my waist when it dawned on me. Pokemon don't have credit cards.