"You've got to be KIDDING!" Ty said, stamping is foot in frustration. A couple of shoppers turned to look at him quizically before returning to their business. "This is the third costume shop I've been to! How could you not have a raichu mask!?"

The costume shop employee looked at him with an almost teasing disinterest. The look would seem appealing or even a bit humorous to some, but to Ty - who was growing increasingly impatient - that glance was infuriating. "I'm sorry, sir, but raichu costumes just aren't 'in' in Saffron this season. We have a lovely pikachu mask, or maybe a paper pichu one for those on a budget-"

"I don't WANT pikachu OR pichu! Raichu is my absolute favorite Pokemon EVER! And I want to be one for the next costume party more than anything!" He was trembling a little. He was so tired of hearing about pichu and pikachu. Raichu was always his favorite, and it hurt his feelings that no one ever seemed to care about them. Until he was able to capture one for himself, this costume party was going to be his chance to show how much he liked them!

"I can understand that you want to be a raichu for your party, but I'm sure you could find some other option. Maybe you could stay home this year or-"

"STAY HOME!?" Now Ty was on the verge of screaming. Most of the customers around the store had stopped even pretending not to eavesdrop. "Now you listen here...! I'm GOING to be a raichu for this party, and when I do, I'm going to come back and rub it in your FACE!"

The girl at the register simply grinned. Rather than continue is tantrum any further, Ty stormed off. That girl was so clueless, he thought. There's probably PLENTY of raichu costumes here; I just need to find them.

Now feeling as though he was on a mission, the boy frantically searched the costume shop from stem to stern. In the brightly-lit aisles he found charmander costumes, mewtwo costumes... even CLEFABLE costumes - which should just not happen, in his opinion. But no raichu costumes at all.

Ty sighed in desperation bordering despair when something caught his eye from the second floor of the shop. It was a row of masks. And on that rack was... No, it couldn't be.

Rounding the spiral staircase to the upper floor, he let out a sound that was somewhere between a gasp, a sigh, and a breathless laugh as there, in the second hook, was a glossy latex raichu mask. He grabbed it in a very fast gesture, only then noticing the sign underneath it: "Masks for display only!"

Ty could have kicks the entire rack over right then and there... until a thought rose into his mind. That clerk was so utterly clueless about her own inventory, he would wear that mask downstairs and SHOW her that he knew this store better than she did. He'd then tell her that he intended to buy this mask and that would be that.

The plan was foolproof.

---

If you don't have a guess where this is headed, welcome to this site, because you're obviously new here. The riolu mask is a little nod to my dear friend Zander-the-Artist on DeviantArt, and the charizard mask is an easter egg from an old drawing of mine (hint: it is NOT a Pokemorphs one). Anyway, hope you enjoy the rest of the show! Parts 2 and 3 will arrive soon!