Leaving the Mistralton Gym, Xia You retraced his steps toward the Pokémon Center.
The warm afternoon sunlight fell over him, adding a layer of warmth compared with being indoors.
I didn't take too long this time, and things went surprisingly smoothly. I wonder how Cheryl, Dawn, and Makomo got on with their own business this morning.
Hmm... thinking about it, though, everything must be proceeding as usual.
Occupied with his thoughts, he walked unhurriedly down the street, his head slightly lowered.
Mistralton City's streets were clean and spacious, with few pedestrians and the fresh air unique to mountain forests.
He had just crossed an intersection and was about to continue when two pairs of elegant women's shoes suddenly entered his field of vision, blocking his path.
One pair consisted of sleek black leather heels beneath the cuffs of well-tailored black trousers, while the other was a pair of soft ivory flats beneath the flowing hem of a pink-and-white maxi dress.
Xia You paid little attention at first, assuming some passersby had happened to block his way. Following the principle of ladies first, he naturally stepped to his left without even raising his head, intending to clear a path.
However, those two pairs of legs then shifted left as well, remaining firmly in his way.
Huh?
Xia You paused, then tried stepping aside to the right.
Yet they moved right in unison too, blocking his path once again!
Once might have been a coincidence, but twice...
This was getting interesting.
Xia You stopped, feeling both a little amused and a little curious. He wanted to know just who would deliberately block his way in an unfamiliar place like Mistralton City.
Someone looking for trouble?
Or did they mean something else?
With that thought, he slowly raised his head.
What greeted him