(Third-Person POV)
Comic-Con. One of the most recognized events of today's world. It is a time where members from a multitude of fandoms all gather in a single area partake in a time of fun. There are booths, cosplay, limited edition collectables, etc. Comic-Con is quite possibly the pinnacle of Geek Culture.
Among the people who attend this event, there are some who show up out of impulse. These people, like everyone else, are there to enjoy themselves, but did not consider what they planned on doing upon arrival.
"Well, my first time at Comic-Con. . . . . Now what?" The individual known as Calem Harsen is a prime example of such a person.
Taking out a copy of the schedule, he searches for something that may interest him.
"Okay, Let's see now. Er . . . not really a fan of that. That one's not on 'til 6:30. Don't even know what that's about. (Crap) That one just ended. Ugh, I really should've planned this out better."
After a few minutes of trying to figure out what to do, Calem decides to improvise his time at Comic-Con.
"(exhale) Ya know what? F*ck it. I'm just gonna go exploring. Hopefully there's stuff going on that's not mentioned on the schedule."
"Coming here was definitely worth it." Thought Calem as he watched an iPhone recording of a recent incident. Said incident involved a box of freshly made chimichangas and a very zealous Deadpool Cosplayer who got way too into character. (Either that or he actually loved chimichangas that much. Who knows.) Fortunately, no one was injured too badly and Comic-Con was still able to continue, despite the fact that a considerable portion of the building was now closed for the day.
As Calem leisurely explored the remaining parts of Comic-Con, he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his vision. Unsure if his eyes were deceiving him or not, Calem stopped walking and quickly turned around. What Calem saw made the Poke-fan part of his heart jump for joy.
Inside a small merchandise shop, sitting on one of the shelves behind the counter, was a replica of the Mega Ring from the Pokemon X & Pokemon Y games. Wanting to get a better look at it, Calem enters the merchandise shop. As he gets closer to the Mega Ring, he begins to notice that it isn't just some regular, plastic replica that could be found in a toy store. (Oh no, it was definitely not one of those.)
The bracelet part of the Mega Ring was obsidian-black in color. It looked sleek and metallic in texture, like it was made from the same material used in legitimate jewelry. Every detail on the bracelet seemed to be carefully engraved with intense accuracy and precision. What was even more amazing than the bracelet was the Key Stone embedded in it. Instead of a multi-colored piece of cut glass, the Key Stone of the Mega Ring was made of Mystic Quartz, aka an actual rainbow colored gemstone. In addition to that, the symbol for Mega Evolution was laser-engraved into the center of the gem.
It was a if the replica was personally handcrafted by an actual Jewel-smith.
The store it was located in was not as aesthetic. In fact, to call it "unwelcoming" would be an understatement. If one were to look at it from the outside, they would notice how truly out-of-place the shop was, especially when compared to the rest of Comic-Con. The shop itself gave off an eerie, supernatural vibe that people usually aim for when setting up Halloween decorations.
Had Calem
not been a huge fan of the Pokemon franchise, he would have noticed this first instead of the Mega Ring. However, he was, so he didn't.
In a trance-like state of amazement, Calem continued to walk toward the replica. Failing to pay attention to where he was stepping, Calem walks right into the front desk of the store. Fortunately, this is enough to snap him out of his "trance", so to speak. Unfortunately, Calem begins to notice how offputting the shop actually is.
Calem: "(Oof!) Ow. Wait, WHAT AM I DOING HERE?!"
????: "(Snort) AH, WAFFLE FRISBEE!" Screamed some unknown individual as he shot up from behind the counter. Apparently this person was taking a nap prior to the sudden amount of shouting. (Why he decided to take one on the floor was anyone's guess.)
As the guy began to stand up, Cale couldn't help but notice the guy's odd choice of attire. A polite way of describing it would be: an unorganized mish-mash costume of multiple franchises. The stuff he was wearing included a Jason Vorhees Hockey Mask, a fake peg-leg, a pair of MLP: FIM pegasus wings, a Fred Flintstone shirt, and a Batman Gauntlet on his right forearm. Calem, who did not know much outside of Pokemon, was unable to identify or recognize the rest of this person's costume.
????: "Oh! Hello there. How are you!" Said the unknown individual as he sees Calem.
Calem: "Uh, I'm fine. Erm, what is this place?"
????: "This place? It's Manic Mike's."
Calem: "Um, alright. Who's Mike?"
????: "Me."
Calem: "You?"
Manic Mike: "Yup."
Calem: "Does that mean you own this store?"
Manic Mike: "Hell yeah!"
It was at this point in the conversation that Calem remembered something about words. "Manic" comes from "Mania", which means "Madness", which is another word for "Crazy".
Calem:
"Meh, he probably just chose the name 'cause it's catchy." I know I'd do that." "So, that's your uniform?"
Manic Mike: "Aw huh."
Calem: "Why'd you make so different from the rest of the store?"
Manic Mike: "Well, why not?"
Calem: ". . . . . . Good point." Stated Calem, realizing that doing something like that was, indeed, crazy.
Manic Mike: "So, anything I can help you with?" It was this question that reminded Calem why he entered this shop in the first place.
Calem: "Oh right. How much for that Mega Ring up there."
Manic Mike: "That one up there? That one's free!"
Calem: "Wait, really!?"
Manic Mike: "Yup, but only if it fits perfectly. Care to try it on?"
Now, any sensible person would ask Mike why he would do something like that. It's not exactly profitable. Calem, however, doesn't really think straight whenever he's excited. So instead of asking "why?", he says this instead.
Calem: "Sure!"
And with that, Manic Mike takes the replica off the shelf and puts it on Calem's left wrist. To Calem's delight, the Mega Ring fits perfectly. It was not too tight, nor was it too loose. Even when he moved his arm around there was no discomfort what-so-ever. Calem looks down at the Mega Ring and Smiles.
Manic Mike: "Congratz kid, that's all yours now! Oh yeah. I almost forgot. In addition to the Ring, you also get the special bonus prize along with it."
Calem: "Really?!" Asked Calem with excitement. He was beginning to wonder if today was his lucky day.
However, when he looked up, Manic Mike was holding his hand up to Calem's face with his middle finger and thumb pressed together. Before Calem could say anything, Mike snapped his fingers. A flash of white light overtook Calem's vision. The bright light soon began to fade from white to black. Calem found himself unable to speak or move. The only thing he could feel was himself losing consciousness.
