Princess Ali had also been entrusted to me by Dian for education and training. (Note: he was Princess Ali and Meimo's father.) So I had to work hard to help her learn to socialize, and I took her along. When we arrived in front of the Gym, all sorts of beautiful and handsome models were walking down the runway, dressed in modified kimonos of various designs. "Wow!" Princess Ali was delighted by the sight.
But I hadn't come to watch a fashion show. I was here to challenge the Gym! Just then, several staff members backstage were having an anxious discussion... Since they were fairly close to us, we overheard them saying, "What do we do? The model for the children's kimono collection suddenly came down with a fever and can't make it..." Their eyes swept over us. "That's it!"
"Young man, little girl, would you be interested in wearing some beautiful clothes and walking the runway?" (In the Pokémon world, my age apparently made me look like a high school student.)
A staff member asked, "Would you be willing to help us model, little girl? You'd just walk onstage and strike a few simple poses. And you'll be paid."
I thought this was the perfect chance for Princess Ali to interact with people and express herself!
Princess Ali, however, made a bold declaration. "You know, my dad is someone pretty important. So if you don't want me to tell on you, remember that my payment should be... this much."
She named a price, and the staff agreed immediately. It was enough to buy me thirty steak dinners.
But as her temporary guardian, I still had to stay with her, or I'd have trouble explaining myself to Meimo. So I followed her inside and waited backstage. The woman who warmly