The two of them sprinted the whole way, and before long they burst out of the forest.
The sky at dusk had been dyed a beautiful golden color, and the distant mountains looked hazy beneath the setting sun.
Right then, a building surrounded by towering stone slabs appeared ahead.
It looked incredibly ancient. The stones were covered in moss and weathering, as if it had stood there for thousands of years. At the entrance was a massive stone door carved with strange patterns that resembled some kind of old script.
"Wow! It looks super old!" May stopped, staring at it with curiosity. "What is this place?"
Ethan stopped as well and studied it. Bits of knowledge about Hoenn's ancient sites flashed through his mind. "It should be some kind of ruins. Hoenn has a lot of old ruins like this. They're said to hide plenty of secrets about the Pokémon world."
Just then, the stone door creaked open, and a man in white archaeological gear stepped out. He wore a tired smile, and he was covered in dust, like he had been investigating inside for a long time.
"That's right. This is an ancient ruin," the man said after hearing them. "Hello. My name is Mez. I'm an archaeologist, and I'm conducting an investigation here."
His voice was gentle and friendly, and he carried the calm, refined air of a scholar.
"Ah, hello! I'm May!" May greeted him quickly, smiling politely.
"Hello. I'm Ethan, and this is my partner, Pikachu," Ethan said as well.
"Pika!" Pikachu hopped down from Ethan's shoulder, waved a paw at Mez, and let out a friendly chirp.
Mez smiled and nodded at Pikachu. "Pikachu, huh. What a cute Pokémon. By the way, you two look like you're in a hurry. Where are you headed?"
"We're going to the Pokémon Center. My friend's Pokémon got hurt," Ethan said, pointing at the Poké Ball in May's hands.
"Oh, I see." Mez nodded, then pointed ahead. "Look, the Pokémon Center is right there. It's only a few minutes from here."
Ethan and May followed where he indicated, and sure enough, they could see a pink building with a large Pokémon Center symbol on its roof, standing out under the sunset.
"That's great! Thank you so much!" May said with relief, her face finally relaxing.
"Pika!" Pikachu also chirped its thanks.
"No problem," Mez said with a smile. "I hope your Pokémon recovers soon."
With that, he turned around and went back into the ruins to continue his work.
Ethan and May headed for the Pokémon Center.
A few minutes later, they finally arrived at the Oldale Town Pokémon Center.
At the entrance stood Nurse Joy in her pink uniform, wearing a gentle smile as she and Chansey tended to injured Pokémon.
"Nurse Joy!" May rushed over and handed her Torchic's Poké Ball, anxiety clear on her face. "My Torchic is hurt. Can you please treat it?"
"Of course. Leave it to me," Nurse Joy said softly as she took the Poké Ball. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of it."
Because they had been hurrying the whole way, Ethan and May had not even had time to remove the forced training devices from Eevee and Phanpy. Now that they were safe at the Pokémon Center, Ethan finally took them off so both Pokémon could rest.
Eevee stretched comfortably, then curled up in a quiet corner. Phanpy looked around with curiosity, poking at things nearby with its trunk.
"Nurse Joy, please take care of Torchic," May said again, still not fully reassured.
"Don't worry. I'll check its condition carefully," Nurse Joy said with a smile. She handed the Poké Ball to Chansey. "Chansey, please take Torchic to the treatment room."
"Chansey!" Chansey nodded, took the Poké Ball, and waddled into the back.
"So, how is it?" May asked, still uneasy.
"Please wait a moment." Nurse Joy pulled out a tablet. "I can check its status right now."
She tapped a few times, then glanced over the results and smiled. "It's fine. Just some superficial injuries, and it's a bit exhausted. With a good night of rest, it'll recover."
"Thank goodness…" May finally let out the breath she had been holding, smiling as the tension left her face.
"Now you can relax, May," Ethan said with a grin. Then he handed Nurse Joy his own Poké Balls. "Nurse Joy, could you check my Pokémon too, just to make sure everything's okay?"
"Certainly." Nurse Joy took them and passed them to Chansey. "Chansey, please check this Trainer's Pokémon as well."
"Chansey!" Chansey nodded and headed into the treatment room again.
"Thank you, Ethan," May said sincerely. "If you hadn't been there, I honestly wouldn't have known what to do. Today really was thanks to you."
"It's fine," Ethan said, waving it off. "We're traveling together. Helping each other is normal."
Then he turned to Nurse Joy. "Oh, right. Nurse Joy, I'm entering the Hoenn League. Please register me."
He handed over his Pokédex.
"Alright. Please wait a moment." Nurse Joy slid it into the terminal beside her. The screen immediately displayed Ethan's details: name, age, region of origin, Pokémon data, Gym badges, and more.
"Done," Nurse Joy said after a few taps, returning the Pokédex. "You're now registered for the Hoenn League. Next, once you collect eight Hoenn Gym Badges, you'll be eligible to enter the League."
"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Ethan said, taking it back with a smile.
At that moment, Chansey came out and returned Ethan's Poké Balls along with Pikachu.
"All finished, Ethan," Nurse Joy said. "Your Pokémon are all healthy and in excellent condition."
"Pika!" Pikachu jumped into Ethan's arms and nuzzled his face happily.
Ethan took his Poké Balls back and nodded at Chansey. "Thanks, Chansey."
"Chansey!" Chansey smiled and returned to Nurse Joy's side.
"Alright, May, it's pretty late," Ethan said, holding Pikachu. "Let's call home first so nobody worries. Then we'll go eat."
"Ah, okay!" May nodded quickly. "It's my first time at a Pokémon Center. Ethan, you lead the way!"
"No problem," Ethan said, guiding her toward the phone area.
The phone booths were in the corner of the lobby. Ethan and May each took one and called home.
Ethan first dialed his house in Pallet Town.
It connected quickly, and his mom Delia appeared on the screen, smiling brightly.
"Ethan! You finally called!" Delia said happily. "How are things in Hoenn? Did anything dangerous happen? Is Pikachu okay?"
"Mom, I'm fine. Pikachu's fine too," Ethan said with a smile. "I'm at the Oldale Town Pokémon Center. I've already registered for the Hoenn League. Next I'll challenge the Gyms, collect badges, and enter the League."
"That's wonderful." Delia nodded, pride shining in her eyes. "Take good care of yourself, get along well with your Pokémon, and be careful, okay?"
"I know," Ethan said. "You take care of yourself too. Don't worry so much."
After chatting for a while, Ethan ended the call and dialed Professor Oak's lab.
Professor Oak appeared on the screen, wearing his lab coat, smiling kindly.
"Good evening, Professor Oak," Ethan greeted. "I've arrived in Oldale Town."
"Is that so? Excellent!" Professor Oak said, smiling wider. "You look great. And so does Pikachu!"
"Pika!" Pikachu waved at the screen and chirped.
"Yeah. I've already finished the Hoenn League registration too, so I can start challenging Hoenn's first Gym," Ethan said.
"Wonderful!" Professor Oak said excitedly. "A new adventure is finally beginning. Hoenn has powerful Gym Leaders and many unique Pokémon. Make sure you really experience this journey."
"I will, Professor," Ethan replied.
Just then, May walked over after finishing her own call. Seeing Professor Oak on Ethan's screen, she immediately blurted out in excitement, "Ah! Professor Oak! The Professor Oak you only ever see on TV!"
Professor Oak blinked, looking confused. "Hmm? And who might you be?"
May squeezed Ethan aside and leaned toward the screen with a bright grin. "Hello, Professor Oak! My name is May!"
"May, hello. I'm Professor Oak from Pallet Town," Oak said, smiling.
May pressed closer to the screen, eyes sparkling. "I know! I always listened to your radio lectures with my little brother! If he knew I got to talk to you, he'd be so jealous!"
"I see…" Professor Oak chuckled awkwardly.
"I just became a Trainer and only just started traveling. Please take care of me!" May said earnestly.
Professor Oak looked like he was starting to sweat from her enthusiasm. "Well, it looks like Ethan has made a lively new friend already. Ethan, both of you do your best and have a great journey. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now. I still have research to do."
"Okay. Bye, Professor Oak," Ethan said, smiling.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu waved again.
The call ended immediately, as if Professor Oak had escaped a disaster.
Ethan sighed and shook his head, then looked at May. "Alright, let's eat. The Pokémon Center's cafeteria has good food, and there's special food for Pokémon too."
"Mm! Okay!" May nodded, still smiling, clearly thrilled she had spoken with Professor Oak.
The two of them headed to the cafeteria with Eevee and Phanpy following behind.
Inside, it was lively. Many Trainers were eating, some dining with their Pokémon, others discussing their journeys with friends, the atmosphere warm and relaxed.
Ethan and May found an empty table, ordered two meal sets, and also ordered food for the Pokémon.
Pikachu, Eevee, and Phanpy gathered around the table, eating happily. May glanced at Torchic's Poké Ball, full of hope that it would recover soon and continue traveling with her.
Ethan ate while watching the night scenery outside the window. Oldale Town at night was beautiful, lights glowing softly, the distant mountains hazy in the darkness.
He knew this was only the beginning of his Hoenn journey. In the days ahead, there would be more challenges, more companions, and stronger Pokémon waiting for him, as he kept pushing toward his goal of becoming the greatest Pokémon Trainer in the world.
And May would grow too, slowly changing from a nervous beginner into a capable Trainer in her own right.
Their Hoenn adventure had only just begun.
(End of Chapter)
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