Under the night sky, the bustling Seaside Night Market dazzled visitors with seafood, local snacks, and handicrafts.
Tourists and Pokémon filled the market. With the sea breeze on their faces, they sampled delicious food and soaked up the atmosphere. It was an incomparable pleasure.
To buy a Harmonica, Mingyou and Akari brought Ogerpon to the Seaside market in Undella Town. Mingyou didn't know the area, so he relied on Akari to lead them around.
"There are so many people here..."
"It's summer, after all. Peak tourist season. You barely see anyone here in winter."
Akari answered softly as she walked a little ahead of him. Ogerpon stayed beside Mingyou, looking around at everything.
Ogerpon had come shopping with them that afternoon, but the market was clearly livelier at night. She spotted plenty of Pokémon running stalls and waved to a Watchog selling balloons. The Watchog politely waved back.
Mingyou noticed and smiled, reaching out to pat Ogerpon's head. Then he looked at Akari ahead of him. Come to think of it... was this their first time shopping together like this?
They had spent most of their time together in Kitakami. The only time they had gone to a festival together was during the Festival of Masks, when they'd tried some of the attractions.
Then he noticed something that brought him up short. Most of the tourists buying snacks at the stalls were in pairs, walking arm in arm and looking impossibly close.
"Since when?!"
Mingyou grew nervous for no clear reason. Weren't people supposed to go shopping with their Pokémon? Why were there so many couples tonight?
They had always been there, of course. He just hadn't paid attention. Even when he saw them, he tended to look away. But now things felt a little different...
He glanced at Akari's