Shopping to stock up on items.

The shops for Violet City were much larger than what I saw at Cherrygrove, and there were more merchants working their respective stores. Browsing wares could take some serious time, and I didn't have much daylight left before I would need to find some accommodations. Once I entered the city proper, I made my way to the large marketplace that made up the financial district, the sights and sounds of it all assaulting my senses as I walked through it. People of all ages and ethnicities were around, many of them gently talking or bartering for better deals.

Every now and then, you would see a small crowd of students walk past, their uniforms incredibly obvious. I made a mental note to stop by the school tomorrow morning - It was a well-known place for trainers to visit for tips and tricks on their journey.

The marketplace was also abuzz with recent news, as some kid had recently become World Champion. I kept my ears open as I browsed some street tables, though I could only hear bits and pieces of information.

"He's only ten?"

"A Pikachu, really?"

"Why is he named after a color?"

"He's only ten? But the news said he's been training for twenty-six years!"

Finding a rather nice shop, I stopped in and was greeting by an elderly man at the counter, probably happy to have a customer this late in the day.

"Welcome, welcome! Look around and enjoy my goods!" he said, gesturing to the whole shop. I nodded happily and began looking at things I needed; potions, Pokeballs, food. I also made sure to focus on the birth control section, pricing it out as best as I could.

From the way I understood it, birth control was incredibly expensive on purpose. The Johto government allowed the free-use rules in the first place to push women to carry more children, especially after the brutality of the previous war. If we could just get birth control, it defeated the purpose.

Everything was decently priced, but I needed to check my wallet...