By the time I was awake from my nap and walked out of my room, it was already late at night. I planned to just have dinner at a nearby restaurant and call it a day.
Well... the keyword was "planned".
After devouring a meal in Slugma Ramen, I was full and satisfied, but did not feel like going back to my room just yet as my energy was still full due to the afternoon nap.
Suddenly, I remembered my conversation with Regis before we separated.
"Right now, all I want to do is take a rest and enjoy the hot springs to soothe my soul from all of those tense moments!"
"Hot springs?" I asked.
"You don't know about the hot springs around here, Lows?" Regis was surprised, "Lavaridge is most popular for its hot springs. They're said to cure any ailment!"
That seemed like a good place to check out to spare some time.
It's probably near closing time now, but it's worth a try.
As I neared the hot springs, it was near empty as people who just finished their day there were just cleaning themselves and going towards the nearby changing rooms provided to redress.
I neared the entrance to the hot springs as there was a small reception desk beside it. There was a man at the desk, but the man did not have any clothing implying that he was a worker there.
Giving him the benefit of a doubt, I went forward and asked, "Am I still able to enter the hot springs?"
"Young lad, what a strange time to be around here! Usually, people would just be finishing up their day here." The man replied, "Nevertheless, it's still open."
"Really? How much do I need to pay for entry?"
"100 PokéDollars per hour. Just pay up here and we will call you when time's up."
"Sure..." I took out 100 PokéDollars from my wallet and handed it to him.
"Can I enter now?" I asked.
"Yup! Enjoy your stay-" He stopped mid-sentence as he seemed to notice something unpleasant.
A young male voice appeared behind me, "Hey! What are you doing around here-"
The man quickly stood up from his seat and started running away. Confusion hit me as I said, "H-Huh?"
"He's not a worker here!" The boy said, "Now, we gotta get your money back!"
"I-It's not a big deal-"
"100 PokéDollars are still PokéDollars!" The boy was determined in stopping the scammer from escaping as he started running towards where the man ran off. I sighed and quickly followed along.
As he was closing in the distance with the man, he threw a Pokéball into the air, "Bounce, stop the man with Psychic!"
A pig-like Pokémon with a spring-like tail appeared from the Pokéball as it bounced around the field and got closer to the man. Before the man could make another escape attempt, he was surrounded by a pink psychic energy as he floated into the air. He moved his limbs and struggled to break free but to no avail.
We finally caught up to the man thanks to the Pokémon's help as the boy said, "Nice job, Bounce. Now, let's report him to the police department."
It did not take long for the boy to report the incident and for the police officers to arrive and arrest the scammer. We were asked a few questions about how the incident happened, but the police officers let us off quite quickly, which was a relief. Getting involved with the police officers twice a day was definitely not something I needed in my first journey as a trainer.
We walked back towards the hot springs as I thanked the boy, "Thanks for your help... and my 100 PokéDollars, I guess."
"It's nothing! Technically, you helped us out as well." He rubbed the back of his head.
"Really?"
"Definitely! This guy had been impersonating one of the workers here, usually during the night when work was more loose around the place. He was able to get some quick cash from unaware tourists for the time being. We had received several complaints about him already, so I was hoping I could help resolve the issue."
"You definitely did!" I said.
"That's good, then. I don't want my family's business to get ruined by some scammer..." He smiled.
"Wait, your family's what?"
"Business! We manage the hot springs around Lavaridge. I spent most of my time helping my parents to reduce their workload. It could get quite busy sometimes, after all."
"I see. It must be a lot of work, with the hot springs being the popular spot for people around the world."
"That's an overstatement, but I'm glad you think so!" He was happy hearing that.
Soon, we returned to the hot springs. Due to the time we took during that incident, the hot springs were already empty with some workers with red aprons cleaning the area.
"I should get back to help. It's been nice chatting for a short while." The boy said.
"Yeah, thanks for your help!"
"No worries! Also, during these hours, the hot springs would still be open for a short while, but we won't be allowing any new customers for the rest of the day. We also wear red aprons during our work, so you'll be able to identify who's working and who's scamming." He chuckled.
"Ah, I see. That's a good tip for next time."
"You can always come back tomorrow for the hot springs! There's usually not too many customers during weekdays." He suggested, "Since you helped us out in getting the scammer arrested, we'll let you in for free the first time! Just call for me when you return here tomorrow."
"Sure thing! I'll see you tomorrow, then." I was cool with the suggestion.
"See you tomorrow!" The boy waved his hand before running off to help out the workers. I figured my energy was used up chasing the scammer as I slowly walked back towards my room in the PokéCentre to relax and watch some matches from the television.
Suddenly, realization hit me.
Wait...
He never told me his name...
I sighed, feeling a little dumb about not asking about it earlier.
Oh well, I'll just figure things out tomorrow.
I shrugged and continued walking back to my room.
It was the next day, as I found myself back at the hot springs after breakfast. There was still a queue, but just like what the boy said, there were not many people. I took the time waiting for my turn while trying to spot Sip in the hot springs only to no avail.
I started to worry slightly before deciding to just pay to enter the hot springs if I ended up not finding the boy. As it was my turn, I told the worker, "I'd like to stay for an hour."
"I see! Do you have any Pokémon wanting to enjoy themselves as well? There's a special area opened just for Pokémon."
"Ah... sure!" I was surprised but delighted, "How much does it cost?"
"50 PokéDollars for one Pokémon per hour!"
"That's not too bad..." I quietly calculated the total cost as I took out my wallet, "Sure, one hour for-"
"Hey, nice to see you again!" The boy's voice surprised me, causing me to look up and see the boy appearing right beside the worker. He gave me a reassuring smile before whispering to the worker for a few moments. After that, the worker gave me a sign to just enter as I thanked him and walked into the hot springs with the boy.
"Thanks for that." I smiled.
"It's nothing! Although I'm kinda confused as to why you didn't call for me." The boy replied.
"Well... I realized that I didn't really ask for your name."
"Oh yeah! I should've known. My bad!" The boy lightly hit his forehead with his right palm, "My name is Sip, Sip Anders. Yours?"
"Lows Landerson. I'm from Pallet Town." I offered my hand for a handshake.
"Pallet Town...?" He shook my hand politely but did not know where my home was.
"It's a town in Kanto." I briefly explained.
"I see, that's cool!" Sip exclaimed, "Anyways, you can now send out your Pokémon for them to follow me to the Pokémon hot springs area."
I did as told as my team seemed to be excited to try the hot springs out. They followed Sip to the Pokémon area as I followed the arrow signs to the changing room.
After the preparations were done, I headed towards the hot springs and slowly dipped my feet into the hot water. Initially, it was hotter than I imagined, but I got used to the temperature rather quickly as in no time, my full body was in the water.
Ah... I'm not too sure about whether the hot springs would cure any ailment, but it sure is relaxing...
I guess we all deserve this break after so many things happening lately...
...
"...Lows, time to get up!"
I slowly woke up from my slumber and realized I was still in the hot springs, with my Pokémon looking at me along with Sip.
I became slightly embarrassed, "H-How long was I asleep for?"
"Not too sure, but it's been a few minutes since we came here." Sip said.
"Too relaxing for me, I suppose." I got up from the water, "I'll go and change back to my clothes."
It did not take me long to redress as I returned back to the group.
"How was the hour, you all?" I asked.
"It was refreshing! Water would never go wrong in any occasion." Surfer replied.
"I had to suppress my urge to Growlithe paddle in the water, but it was fun!" Ziggs agreed.
"It was a good opportunity to wind down after yesterday." Grace smiled.
"Pokémon would usually play and run around the area due to excitement for the first time, but your Pokémon were pretty well-behaved back there! You definitely trained them well." Sip praised.
"I didn't do much... They just know what to do at all times. It's nice to have them around the team." I was definitely proud of my Pokémon.
We then walked out of the hot springs, my stomach growling slightly, complaining about it being empty once again.
"I'm probably gonna go get some food. You wanna come along?" I asked.
He hesitated slightly before I remembered that he still had work to do. I continued, "If you're still busy at the hot springs, that's fine. We can always get a treat or two next time."
"It should be fine..." He slowly replied, "My parents don't really force me to work here, I just offered to help them out. I guess I can take a short break."
"Really? Sweet!" I smiled, "Let's get some food, then."
We headed to a nearby stall named Numel Grilling and got ourselves some grilled berries. As we sat on two of the chairs provided and enjoyed the meal, Sip asked, "Why did you come here to Hoenn?"
"I'm actually participating in the Ever Grande League. Of course, exploring around an unknown region is a good side quest as well."
"...It must be nice to be able to travel around." Sip said.
"It definitely is! Though there's gonna be some obstacles here and there, I'm enjoying my time so far. The people around here are... mostly nice," I said, thinking about a certain trainer who still disliked me, "and I get to learn new things everyday. I'm glad I came to Hoenn."
"I live in Hoenn, but I never got the chance to explore around, to be honest." Sip said.
"Why not? Too busy with work and all?"
"Mostly, yeah. My parents are quite open with what I want to do, but I'm just scared that leaving home would increase their workload."
"There's other workers who would help them as well."
"You got a point, but it's just me overworrying about things, I suppose." Sip said, "Making the first move is always harder than it looks, but becoming an official trainer is my dream. I'll find a good time to tell them."
"That's the spirit!" I was happy for him.
"...Lows, I have a request." Sip asked, "Can you go against me in a battle? I want to get a taste of how strong one would become through training for the Ever Grande League."
Knowing that this was well what he wanted, I nodded in no time, "Let's do it."
We went to an open field and stood at two different sides, ready to battle.
He took out a Pokéball and closed his eyes as he held it tightly in his hand. He seemed to be nervous, but more excitement was clearly seen in his expression.
He really seems to cherish every battle opportunity given to him.
He then threw his Pokéball into the air, "Let's do this, Magma!"
A limbless, bright red Pokémon composed of magma appeared on the field. In fact, the Pokémon reminded me of the logo I saw in Slugma Ramen. I scanned it with my Pokédex, [Slugma, the Lava Pokémon. A common sight in volcanic areas, it slowly slithers around in a constant search for warm places.]
I immediately threw a Pokéball after deciding who to use for the battle, "Power, time to battle!"
Power was holding another boulder for the move, which caught Sip's attention, "That's something interesting your Machop is carrying along. What is it for?"
"You'll see." I smiled, "For now, you can have the first move."
"Sure thing. Magma, use Ember!"
"Power, dodge and use Fling!"
The Slugma obeyed Sip's command and released small flames towards Power. Power however, was able to barely dodge the attack and threw the boulder towards Magma, landing the boulder onto it successfully.
"Oh, so that's what the boulder is for! I've never seen an attack like that." Sip was amused.
"You learn new things everyday!" I smiled.
Sip nodded, "Magma, Ancient Power!"
"Power, use Focus Energy and break the boulders with Karate Chop!"
Floating boulders formed around the Lava Pokémon as they were launched towards my Fighting type as he focused and his eyes turned red. Then, Power managed to break the boulders into pieces, but they definitely dealt some damage towards my Fighting type.
"Magma, Ember!" Magma released more flames towards Power, this time hitting him. I immediately issued a counter attack, "Power, Low Kick!"
Power managed to give Magma a powerful kick, but as he returned to my side, small flames were seen around him as he turned slightly red and said, "I-It kinda burns..."
"That's the Flame Body ability... it burns the opponent in contact." I explained.
"Even I didn't know that..." Sip rubbed the back of his head.
"Battles are a good way for you to learn these stuff." I said, noticing both Pokémon panting in exhaustion, "Power, Karate Chop again!"
"Magma, Ancient Power!"
The boulders were formed and launched once again, some hitting Power but he had no intention of stopping his attack. Finally, he chopped the Fire type multiple times, and thanks to the critical attack buff, Magma was the one to fall short first as it collapsed.
"Good job, Power!" I said as I sprayed him with a Burn Heal.
"T-That was pretty good!" Power smiled, happy about his performance.
"Nice try, Magma." Sip said, disappointed but seemingly eager to battle more as he returned Magma and took out a second Pokéball, "Bounce, let's make this battle good!"
The same pig-like Pokémon from yesterday appeared on the field, bouncing around in excitement. I scanned it as well, [Spoink, the Bounce Pokémon. It apparently dies if it stops bouncing about. It carries a pearl from Clamperl on its head.]
*That's unfortunate... Hopefully, it's already used to doing this.*
I returned Power and took out another Pokéball and threw it, not wanting to keep Sip waiting for too long, "Grace, you got this!"
Grace was sent out, appearing delighted to battle again after her recovery.
"Let's start! Bounce, use Psywave!"
Bounce nodded as it released a beam of multicolored energy from between its hands at Grace. I quickly commanded, "Grace, Teleport away and use Magical Leaf!"
Grace closed her eyes and managed to teleport away from the beam. Then, she reappeared in another location and released multiple glowing light green leaves towards the Bounce Pokémon.
"Grace, Teleport and use Magical Leaf!" Grace teleported away from the psychic wave, formed the colourful leaves and shot them towards the Bounce Pokémon.
"Bounce, bounce your way through and use Psychic!"
Bounce was able to bounce and dodge the leaves and quickly released an invisible blast of energy towards Grace, hitting her but not dealing as much damage due to the type resistance.
"Grace, you wanna try out that move?" I asked. I knew she wanted to see whether her efforts worked out at that very moment.
"It'll be a great time to test things out. Let's do it." Grace nodded, accepting my suggestion as I commanded, "Grace, Shadow Ball!"
Grace closed her eyes as she used her powers to form a black and purple ball in front of her. This time, she was able to control her power properly as once the ball was fully formed, she launched the ball towards Bounce, hitting it as the super effective attack made it wince in pain.
"That's awesome, Grace! You did it!" I was proud of the result of our training.
"I'm delighted as well. This would certainly be helpful in the future." She giggled lightly.
"That was a powerful move Grace got there..." Sip commented, "But we won't give up till the end! Bounce, use Psychic again, full power!"
"Grace, use Shadow Ball again!"
They released their moves almost the same time as they hit their targets. Grace was able to hold on due to the type resistance, but Bounce on the other hand, suffered from the super effective attack and finally collapsed after a hard battle.
Sip ran over towards Bounce and thanked it before returning it, "That was... underwhelming."
I was worried he might be disappointed, "Don't say that. You still did well for a beginner! It was great seeing you do your best."
"Definitely! Although it was underwhelming for me, it gave me a feeling I never had before. That feeling... made me want to battle even more!" Sip clenched his fist in excitement. I could tell he was really passionate in his dream of becoming a trainer.
I was going to respond to him, until I heard people clapping beside us. We looked at the direction of the sounds as Sip was surprised to see two people wearing red aprons clapping and smiling at him.
"M-Mom, Dad?" Sip asked.
"What's the matter, son? You did so well! No need to feel embarrassed." The woman who seemed to be Sip's mother complimented.
"Well... it's the first time anyone ever saw me battling." He rubbed the back of his head.
"You'll have to get used to it if you want to be a trainer!"
"W-Wait, what?" Sip was shocked.
"We heard everything about your dream! Seeing you battle with such passion was something that made us so proud." His father walked towards him, "And... we think it's time for you to do something more than just working at the hot springs."
"R-Really? But... won't you two get too busy with the hot springs?"
"We always have our workers to back us up anytime!" His father said, "Besides, you only live once. Go chase your dreams and return home after your journeys with your head up high! We believe in you."
Sip's eyes turned red as he started tearing up in happiness, "T-Thank you. I'll do my best."
His parents went forward and gave him a hug. I could tell Sip was more than just happy; he was surprised by the sudden opportunity given to him to achieve his dream, excited to start a new adventure as a trainer, grateful for his parents for fully supporting his decision.
I looked at them and smiled.
It must be nice to have your dream come true, isn't it?
I then looked up towards the sky.
I wish...
My dreams can eventually come true as well.
Lows' Pokémon Team:
Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature, Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Mud Slap
Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature, Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade
Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature, Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam
Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature, Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Throw
Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature, Moves: Fling, Focus Energy, Karate Chop, Low Kick