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Woooooo—!
The long, deep sound of the ship's horn echoed across Littleroot Harbor as the vessel finally docked. Among the passengers disembarking with the crowd were Kai and Erika, both gazing curiously at the unfamiliar shore stretching before them.
Hoenn Region here we come!
It was their first time setting foot on this land. Littleroot Town lived up to its name a quiet, nature-wrapped countryside where greenery and ocean air mingled in perfect harmony.
Though small, it also had a modest harbor and a handful of tall modern buildings near the coast a perfect blend of town and country.
Not far from here stood the home and lab of Professor Birch, Hoenn's leading Pokémon Professor. Much like Professor Oak of Kanto or Professor Elm of Johto, Birch was the one who provided starter Pokémon to new Trainers in this region.
Kai and Erika had arrived just a few days after parting ways with Ash and his friends back in Johto. They had taken the nearest ferry south, crossing the sea until they reached this new continent a land full of promise and unknown Pokémon.
"Feels good to breathe in some fresh ocean air again," Kai said, stretching as he stepped onto the dock.
Erika smiled. "It's lovely here. Peaceful, too."
They hadn't gone to disturb Professor Birch right away. After all, they had no formal reason to visit him yet—and barging in without an introduction would've been impolite.
"There'll be time for that later," Kai said. "For now, let's just get started properly."
Their first goal was to register with the Hoenn Pokémon League, a necessary step before challenging any Gyms.
Unfortunately, the townspeople told them that Littleroot didn't have a Pokémon Center or a League registration terminal. To sign up, they'd need to travel north to Oldale Town.
Kai sighed. "Seriously? A starter town without a Pokémon Center? Who thought that was a good idea?"
Erika chuckled. "The League has its own priorities, remember? Even the biggest organization in the world has to manage its budget somehow."
With their energy restored after several days aboard the ship, the two didn't linger. They headed north along the winding path leading toward Oldale Town, enjoying the warm Hoenn sunlight.
Compared to Johto, Hoenn felt livelier tropical, even. The air was warmer, the forests thicker, and the songs of unseen Pokémon echoed from every direction.
"Kinda reminds me of the Orange Islands," Kai mused, glancing around.
They spotted plenty of familiar Pokémon along the way, Pidgey, Rattata, and Sentret, but also a few species they'd never seen before. A Poochyena darted across the path, followed by a Zigzagoon rummaging through the bushes.
"New region, new faces," Kai said with a grin. "This is going to be fun."
For Erika, the walk was peaceful and inspiring. "The plants here are beautiful," she said, touching a wild blossom. "Even the air smells different."
After several hours, the path opened up into a dry plain scattered with massive oval-shaped stones. Between them lay the weathered remains of ancient walls and collapsed rooms.
"Is that… a ruin?" Erika asked.
"Looks like one," Kai said, curiosity piqued.
They approached cautiously and found a few archaeologists at work, their instruments beeping quietly as they scanned the area. One of them, a man in his late twenties with sun-tanned skin and a small ponytail, noticed them and waved.
"Hey there!" he called, smiling. "Visitors? I'm Alden, an archaeologist researching the Oldale Ruins."
"Oldale Ruins?" Kai repeated.
Alden nodded. "That's right. The town nearby was named after this place. We're trying to uncover what lies behind that sealed stone chamber over there."
He pointed toward a structure at the far end of the site a perfectly preserved stone door surrounded by strange runic carvings.
Erika tilted her head. "What's behind it?"
"That's what we're trying to find out," Alden said. "The door's got a locking mechanism no handle, no visible hinges. We believe something needs to be inserted into those slots to trigger it."
Kai examined it briefly and tried pushing against the door. It was solid and cold to the touch immovable.
"So, brute force won't work," Kai said.
"Not unless you want the whole thing collapsing," Alden replied with a chuckle. "Some of my colleagues believe the chamber connects to the ancient world of Pokémon maybe even to the fossil era."
"Like Aerodactyl or Kabutops?"
"Exactly," Alden said with a grin. "Maybe even species we haven't seen yet."
Kai scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Hm. A door to the ancient Pokémon world, huh? Sounds cool on paper."
But inside, he remembered something else an episode from the Hoenn region that sounded awfully familiar.
"Wait a minute… isn't this the same ruin Ash and May once visited?" Kai murmured to himself.
If so, he already knew what was inside: an underground lake inhabited by the ancient Pokémon Relicanth a strange, deep-sea fish said to have existed for over a hundred million years.
"Relicanth," he muttered, snapping his fingers. "Right. The ugly one."
He smirked and turned away from the door. "Yeah, no thanks. I'll leave that discovery to Ash. He's bound to get here eventually."
Erika smiled knowingly. "You're passing up an adventure?"
"Not passing up—delegating," Kai said with mock seriousness. "It's called efficient storytelling."
They both laughed, thanked Alden for the tour, and continued on their way toward Oldale Town as the sun began to set.
When they arrived, the streets were lined with colorful flowers and gentle music from the evening breeze. Oldale Town was small but vibrant a place where trainers often gathered before branching out toward Petalburg or Mauville.
Inside the Pokémon Center, the ever-familiar Nurse Joy greeted them with her usual smile.
"Welcome!"
"Hi, Nurse Joy," Kai said politely. "I'm here to register for the Hoenn Pokémon League."
She accepted his Pokédex and typed swiftly on the terminal. Her eyes widened slightly as his record appeared Champion of the Indigo and Silver Conferences, victor of the Orange Islands and Whirl Cup tournaments.
"My goodness… these are incredible results!" she said, blinking.
Kai rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Guess I've been around a bit."
With the registration complete, she handed back his Pokédex. "All done. Best of luck in your Hoenn journey, Mr. Kai!"
Afterward, Kai used the Center's transfer machine to call Chloe at Cerise's Lab back home. They exchanged greetings before he sent several of his Pokémon home: Blastoise, Venusaur, Jolteon, and Crystal Steelix, veterans who no longer needed the constant grind of travel.
Remaining with him were Gardevoir, Gengar, Dragonite, Scizor, Tyranitar, Eevee, Raikou, Suicune, and Celebi.
"Not a bad lineup," Kai muttered. "Time to see how Hoenn handles the classics."
Gardevoir and Gengar, his irreplaceable partners, would of course stay by his side no matter the region. Celebi, freshly bonded, needed more time to strengthen their trust—and to taste all the food he'd promised to show it.
Erika already knew the story of how he'd captured Celebi. Far from surprised, she had simply smiled quietly proud of him.
As for Raikou and Suicune, they remained his aces, his legendary trump cards.
The rest of Dragonite, Scizor, Tyranitar, and Eevee would be the main focus of his Hoenn training, as Kai aimed to raise them to match the power of his top-tier team.
"Still," he said, gazing out the window into the twilight. "We'll need some new partners too. Hoenn's full of surprises."
Later that night, he and Erika found a cozy inn nearby. After dinner, they took a slow walk through Oldale's quiet streets, hand in hand, breathing in the warm night air.
Erika smiled softly. "A new region… a new journey."
Kai grinned. "And hopefully fewer noodle accidents this time."
They both laughed under the starlit sky, ready to face whatever adventures Hoenn would bring.
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