Damian didn't stay in Mauville City for long. After leaving the airport, he grabbed a meal at a nearby restaurant and then headed straight for Lavaridge Town.
Lavaridge Town is a very famous town in the Hoenn region. It's also one of the must-visit tourist spots when you come to Hoenn.
That's because Lavaridge Town is known for its hot springs.
They say the hot springs here are so hot they can cure all kinds of diseases. No one knows whether that's true or not, but the rumor alone made Lavaridge Town famous.
Even if you ignore the whole "curing diseases" thing, the hot springs in Lavaridge Town really are excellent.
On top of that, Lavaridge Town is home to the Lavaridge Gym, one of the official Pokémon Gyms in the Hoenn region.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, Damian's group of three arrived in Lavaridge Town.
However, something strange was going on. Quite a few people were standing outside the town. At the front was a young woman with fiery red hair, and right beside her stood an Officer Jenny.
Damian recognized her. That red-haired woman was Flannery, the current Gym Leader of the Lavaridge Gym.
What is going on? Did the Hoenn League predict my travel schedule?
That was ridiculous. Even if the Hoenn League knew he was coming, they wouldn't send a single ordinary Gym Leader to stop him.
"Master Damian, something feels off," Gladion whispered.
This setup really did look suspicious.
"Yeah, but they can't be here for us," Caitlin said as well.
After thinking for a moment, Damian smiled and led the two of them toward Lavaridge Town.
Noticing Damian's group, Officer Jenny stepped forward with a serious expression.
"Halt!" Officer Jenny shouted sharply. She looked fully on guard.
"Who are you?"
"We're travelers. We arrived from Kanto today. Officer Jenny, is something wrong?" Damian replied with an innocent look.
"Do you have identification?" Officer Jenny didn't trust them that easily.
"Of course."
Damian pulled out his Pokédex—something he hadn't used in a long time. Now that he thought about it, he really had forgotten about it.
He should've asked Professor Kukui for a Rotom Dex. Next time he went to Alola, he'd ask for one. He also wanted to talk with Kukui about a partnership involving the Rotom Dex.
No, maybe it would be better to have Lusamine handle it. Kukui probably wouldn't want to work with me.
"I apologize. I acted too rashly. A very warm welcome to the three of you, and I hope you enjoy your trip to Lavaridge Town."
After taking Damian's Pokédex and checking it briefly, Officer Jenny apologized to the three of them.
A Pokémon Pokédex was naturally a form of identification.
"It's fine. I understand," Damian said with a smile, showing he didn't mind.
"May I ask what happened in Lavaridge Town?" Damian asked with curiosity.
"If you need help, Officer Jenny, feel free to say so. The three of us are all very strong trainers. I'm sure we can help."
"This... to be honest with you, it's dangerous. I won't drag you into it," Officer Jenny said after hesitating for a moment, then shook her head and politely refused.
"It's an evil organization! Someone reported it not long ago. Team Magma and Team Aqua are having a huge fight on Mt. Chimney right now. Just in case, we're guarding the outside of the town."
A bright female voice drifted over. It was Flannery, the Lavaridge Gym Leader.
"Leader Flannery, saying it like that..." Officer Jenny looked at Flannery, helpless.
She was honestly at her limit with this new Gym Leader who had only taken over the Lavaridge Gym this year.
"Well~ Officer Jenny, you're just too stiff. There's no need to hide it. Besides, Mt. Chimney is so close. If these travelers ran up there by themselves, what would we do then?"
Flannery spoke in a casual, bold way.
She had long, vivid red hair that practically burned. She wore a short top that showed off her slim waist, and her tall, sexy figure stood out.
That passionate, fearless vibe made it obvious at a glance—Flannery was the outgoing type.
"..." Officer Jenny was completely speechless.
"So Team Magma and Team Aqua are fighting on Mt. Chimney right now?" Caitlin froze.
Wow. Are the evil organizations in Hoenn really this bold? Fighting each other out in the open, in broad daylight?
"That's correct. We already reported it to the Hoenn League. Lavaridge Town doesn't have enough officers, and we can't go up there to stop them. All we can do is protect the town and the nearby tourists as best we can."
Officer Jenny sounded a bit helpless. After all, the three people in front of her had just arrived in Hoenn.
And the first thing they ran into was something this ugly.
As someone from Hoenn, Officer Jenny naturally wanted visitors from other regions to see Hoenn's best side.
"I see," Damian said, understanding. A smile even formed on his face. Wasn't this perfect timing?
"Please go into Lavaridge Town first. Don't worry—we will definitely keep you safe," Officer Jenny said seriously.
Hearing that, Gladion's eyelids twitched twice. Even now, he still hadn't forgotten how someone with almost the exact same face had handcuffed him in Celadon City and told him to behave...
And now the one in front of him was saying she would "definitely keep him safe."
Gladion honestly found it hard to stay calm.
"No need. Since I ran into this, as a trainer, I can't just ignore it," Damian said with a smile.
"Whoa!! That's so cool!" Flannery's eyes lit up. " I, Flannery, approve of you!"
"Flannery! Talk less! Don't encourage them," Officer Jenny snapped. Flannery immediately drew her neck back a little.
"Sir, please calm down! I understand wanting to help, but those are dangerous evil organizations, so—"
"Evil organizations? My favorite thing is beating up evil organizations." Damian's lips curled upward.
He didn't wait for Jenny to finish. He turned around and rushed toward Mt. Chimney.
"No more talk, Officer Jenny. Don't worry—Mt. Chimney will be peaceful again soon."
"That's so cool! I'm coming too!" Flannery shouted. She was full of energy like always, and she ran after the three of them right away.
Fighting evil groups?
As the Gym Leader of Lavaridge Town, that was her duty!
"Get back here!"
But Flannery only took a few steps before a hard, cruel grip grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"Officer Jenny!"
"Flannery, what did you promise your grandfather? Protecting Lavaridge Town is what you should be doing!" Officer Jenny's voice was firm and strict.
It gave Flannery a terrible headache. She still did not know how to deal with Officer Jenny at all.
"I was just worried about those three trainers."
"You don't need to worry. They... aren't ordinary people."
Officer Jenny frowned a little. She could not be fully sure, but she could tell from their presence, how they acted, and how they spoke.
The three people from before were not normal.
Sometimes, some people really can make others notice them right away. People call them "the strong."
Just like the young man said, they were probably all very powerful trainers.
Mt. Chimney. It was a sleeping volcano, more than 1,500 meters high, and one of Hoenn's famous landmarks.
Even though it had not erupted for many years, volcanic ash still fell from Mt. Chimney without stopping.
"Our luck really is good."
Damian did not expect things to match up this perfectly. He had just arrived in Lavaridge Town, and he happened to catch Team Magma and Team Aqua fighting each other.
And now, at the top of Mt. Chimney...
A large group of people in bright red uniforms and blue uniforms were fighting. Near the edge of the crater—
"Aha ha ha~ You're so strong. No wonder you wanted to interfere with Team Magma's business. You really are something."
A girlish voice that sounded a little crazy echoed through the air.
A thin girl with light brown hair frowned. Her clean, gentle face tightened as she stared at the laughing Team Magma Admin in front of her.
The woman facing her wore a tight red sweater that held close to her hips and a red hood. Her face was pretty and pale. Her purple eyes were bright and shining, and they looked strange and tempting at the same time.
Her pale legs looked very white under the dark red cloth. She wore long boots on her feet.
She was Team Magma Admin Courtney!
"What are you laughing at?"
May felt that the woman in front of her, even though she was pretty, had something wrong with her.
May had clearly beaten her Camerupt, but the woman was still laughing.
What kind of crazy person was she?
"Chuckle~ Because you're very cute. Truly... you're so strong it makes me fuming / enraged."
Courtney tilted her head a little. A smile appeared on her neat, but it made May feel scared.
Her voice was strange.
But May did not feel that way at all.
May felt goosebumps rise on her arms. She could not explain it, but the woman's twisted smile made her feel nervous and unsafe.
"What a load of nonsense! Hmph! Evil people like you—none of you are getting away today!" May glared at Courtney and forced herself to stay strong.
"Too cute. You're just too cute, brat. You did win today, but Team Magma's plan isn't something a brat like you can stop. You'd better remember that."
Courtney grinned.
"Oh? Could you tell me more? What exactly is Team Magma's plan?"
A clear male voice came from the side, and there was obvious amusement in every word.
"Hmm?" Courtney and May turned to the side at the same time.
They saw three people walking over slowly.
"Ara ara~ Looks like some more impressive people have arrived."
The wild smile on Courtney's face slowly faded. Her eyes narrowed, and her expression became colder the moment she saw them.
Behind the three people, on the back of a Pokémon that looked like a griffin—Silvally—a thin man was being carried.
Courtney knew him right away.
That was the Team Aqua Admin, Amber!
Amber was the leader of Team Aqua for this Mt. Chimney mission. And now he had been beaten and captured like?
Courtney's instincts warned her that this was bad. These three people did not look simple at all.
And on top of that, there was also that "disgustingly strong" brat.
May looked at the three of them with interest. She did not expect anyone else to come to Mt. Chimney besides herself.
Well, it looked like she was not fighting alone!
"I didn't expect my luck to be this good on my first day here."
Damian tilted his head and looked Courtney and May up and down. His eyes finally stopped on May.
Her face looked innocent and cute. A red-and-white bandana was on her head. She had a slim body, and her tight tank top showed her full chest and narrow waist. On her lower body, she wore white hot pants, and black safety shorts could be seen under them.
This was May, the third-generation female protagonist!
And in front of May stood a Swampert that gave off an extremely strong feeling.
Whoa~ is this the game version of May?
Damian raised an eyebrow. A famous scene from Pokémon Evolutions flashed in his mind.
May's Mega Swampert almost punched the soul out of Rayquaza.
-----------