Melody, after a short chat with Poochy, left her with Estelle while she returned to the outdoor market. She intended on participating in the contest, so she would have to buy some proper attire.
The question was, how was she going to pay for it?
She obviously hadn't had any money since she was captured by the Bounty Hunters. Sure, she had plenty of Pecha berries she could sell, but she doubted she would get enough money to buy a garment. And she definitely wasn't going to sell anything else.
While Melody was walking, her foot struck something leathery. She stopped and looked down. What she saw delighted her to her very core. Someone had dropped their wallet, and it ended up at the Mudkip's feet. She carefully picked it up and glanced inside.
Several exceptionally large bills smiled back at her.
Melody abruptly shut the wallet and resisted squealing with delight. But her conscience spoke up. This is someone else's, it said. Wouldn't it be so much nicer if you found the owner of this and gave it back? You just might get a reward. She frowned and searched the money pouch for a credit card, a license, anything that would help identify its owner. There was nothing. Well, that settles it, Melody thought. Since I can't find out who this belongs to, it's mine. With that, she gleefully skipped down the road over to a fine clothing shop.
Once inside, she was immediately bombarded with blindingly bright outfits screaming to be bought. She searched among the fabric jungle, keeping an eye out for the perfect gown. At last, a certain garment caught her eye. It was a blue sleeveless dress with pale blue gloves. The lower half of the robe barely touched the floor. It was decorated with a silken orange sash on the waistline, and there was a a line of ribbon and orange fabric flowers draped below that. Melody grinned like the Cheshire Cat. This was perfect.
Surprisingly, the dress didn't cost nearly as much as she expected. After buying a small choker and a real orange flower as accessories, she left. She found a salon among the many stores, and she changed into her gown in the restroom, then pulled on her gloves, clipped on her necklace, fixed her hair into a bun, and stuck the flower in it. She was ready. With that, she hurried back to the clearing in the forest and found quite a scene before her.
Continue?
Melody.
