Chapter 129: Arrival in the Hoenn Region
At Rustboro City Airport, the Aether Foundation plane carrying Ryan and Lillie landed. The cabin door opened, and Ryan emerged, stretched, and said, "So this is the Hoenn region?"
"Alright, let's get going. Let's go visit Ruby's family first," Lillie said.
After nearly a month of rest, Ryan and Lillie finally set foot on the land of Hoenn. Ryan had considered for a long time and decided not to bring his main team. His current six Pokémon were: Hariyama, Blaziken, Metagross (Shiny), Gardevoir, Manaphy, and Milotic.
Originally, Ryan hadn't wanted to bring Manaphy, after all, it couldn't be revealed publicly yet. He needed to deal with the remaining issues before he could use Manaphy openly.
As for Milotic, it was the one he had befriended during the shipwreck exploration. Lillie also caught the affectionate Feebas that had been clinging to her. She only brought three Pokémon: Feebas, Clefairy, and Gardevoir; no other Pokémon accompanied her.
Ryan also wanted to make further progress and continue to strengthen his fundamentals. He had a hunch that even if he couldn't beat the Champions on this trip, he should be able to compete with them.
After leaving the airport, Ryan and his companions asked for directions and arrived at the Petalburg Gym.
After knocking on the door, Ruby's mother, Mitsuko, opened it. Seeing Ryan and Lillie, she smiled and said, "Isn't this Ryan? Are you traveling to the Hoenn region?"
"Hello, Mrs. Mitsuko," Ryan said. "It's not just traveling—I'm here to challenge the Hoenn League. This is my friend, Lillie."
"Hello, Mrs. Mitsuko, I'm Lillie," Lillie said politely.
"Oh, Ryan's girlfriend," Mitsuko said with a smile. "Come in, it's chilly outside."
Then, she led Ryan and a blushing Lillie into the Petalburg Gym. Ryan also saw Ruby, who was currently battling Norman. Ruby was using Eevee, while Norman was using Slaking.
"Eevee, Swift!" Ruby shouted.
Eevee leaped high, and a barrage of glowing stars struck the struggling Slaking, instantly defeating the already weakened Slaking.
"Very good. You've trained this Eevee very well," Norman said, recalling Slaking.
"But I still want to be a Pokémon Coordinator," Ruby said, holding Eevee.
As Ruby spoke, Eevee began to glow, and a Sylveon appeared in Ruby's arms. Ruby happily nuzzled Sylveon's cheek and said, "Eevee, you finally evolved!"
"Dear, Ruby, look who's here!" Mitsuko said.
When the two saw Ryan and Lillie, Ruby ran over happily and said, "Ryan, Lillie, you're here! Why didn't you ask me to pick you up at the airport?!"
Ryan extended his right fist and bumped Ruby's, saying, "No need for that. Congratulations on your win! Eevee evolved into Sylveon!"
"Hehe," Ruby rubbed her nose and smiled.
Norman then came over and said, "You must be Ryan, the Reserve Elite Four member who recently tied with Lorelei. Thank you for taking care of Ruby."
Looking at the serious Norman, Ryan smiled, "It's no problem, Mr. Norman. I've gained a lot from traveling with Ruby and the others. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you next. I want to challenge the Petalburg Gym."
Norman looked puzzled and said, "Challenge a gym? Aren't you already at Elite Four level? Why would you challenge a gym?"
"It's for the experience. After all, my fundamentals, despite all the intense training, are only just adequate. My goal isn't just to become one of the Elite Four," Ryan said seriously.
Norman laughed heartily and said, "Good! Let's put the gym challenge on hold for now. Stay with us. I'm very interested in helping you strengthen your fundamentals. Ruby will be going to Professor Birch to receive her starter Pokémon in two weeks. You can travel together then."
Seeing Norman's sincere and admiring gaze, Ryan nodded and agreed. After all, Norman's strength was undeniable, and Ryan was fortunate to receive his training.
Ruby pouted, dismissing Norman's strict training regimen. But Ruby was being ungrateful, not considering how young she was when she managed to injure and drive away a Salamence. It was all thanks to Norman's rigorous training from a young age that Ruby's fundamentals were so solid.
Over the next two weeks, Norman gave Ryan thorough training. Both the Pokémon and Ryan experienced Norman's expertise firsthand.
Norman's combat prowess was undeniable. Ryan was often bested by Norman in their sparring sessions, only to get back up and continue.
However, it was clear that Norman's guidance was effective. Ryan felt a noticeable improvement in his abilities, and after two weeks, he and Norman were now evenly matched in sparring.
Ryan and Lillie then prepared to accompany Ruby to obtain a starter Pokémon from Professor Birch. They also planned to meet up with Professor Birch's daughter, Sapphire, Ruby's childhood friend.
Professor Birch's research lab was located in Littleroot Town, a considerable distance from Petalburg City. The three of them set out in the morning, traversing Route 101, and finally arrived in Littleroot Town by noon. However, Professor Birch's assistant informed Ryan and his group that the professor was out with his daughter researching Pokémon and was temporarily away from the lab. The three had no choice but to search for Professor Birch in the wild.
Following the assistant's directions, Ryan and his group spotted them not far from the lab. However, upon seeing Professor Birch and Sapphire, Ruby looked embarrassed, and Lillie simply covered Ryan's eyes.
Ryan was speechless: It's just a girl in wilderness gear, is this really necessary?
"Oh, Ruby, you're here," Professor Birch said, then walked over to them. Also wearing outdoor research clothes was Sapphire with her Torchic.
"Hello, Professor Birch," Ryan said, gently moving Lillie's hand. "Professor Oak asked me to say hello to you."
"Oh, you're Ryan! I watched the Silver Conference. Do you have those Legendary Pokémon with you? If you do, could you show them?" Professor Birch said enthusiastically.
"Uh, sorry, Professor," Ryan said. "All the Legendary Pokémon are back home. I only have the ones I recently caught with me."
Professor Birch expressed disappointment. Meanwhile, Ruby and Sapphire were arguing. Ruby pulled out a set of clothes she had made and tried to put them on Sapphire. Needless to say, Sapphire, with a blushing face, tackled her to the ground.
"You two have such a good relationship," Ryan, Lillie, and Professor Birch said in unison.
"We do not!" Ruby and Sapphire exclaimed in unison.
Then they glared at each other, almost coming to blows. But the more they argued, the more obvious their friendship became. Ryan thought he didn't need to witness this dynamic, preferring Lillie's gentleness and understanding.
(End of Chapter)
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