Unlike the handful of small houses seen in the games, the Littleroot Town of the anime was a massive coastal city.
Skyscrapers were visible everywhere, it boasted a train station connecting to various major cities, and it even featured a massive harbor capable of docking a vessel as large as the Eros Milotic.
Kashiwagi recalled the final episode of the original series, where Ash's Pikachu and Meowth encountered a variety of wild Pokémon in the warehouse district of the docks—including a large swarm of Haunter. He wondered if they had been cleared out since then.
As he disembarked, many of the Trainers he had befriended on the ship came to see him off.
"Make sure to visit Kanto if you get the chance!"
"Kalos too!"
"You absolutely have to come to Alola! I'll treat you to the best Malasadas!"
"Johto's RageCandyBars are delicious too!"
"Can they beat my Casteliacone?"
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
"Oh! You want to go? Let's settle this with a battle right now!"
"Bring it on!"
Watching the group of lively characters descend into chaos, to the point where they completely ignored his farewell wave, Kashiwagi sighed and shrugged at the Mawile beside him.
"This is how it is out here. Lots of... colorful personalities."
"Maw-wile!"
Mawile nodded in deep agreement, before urging its Trainer toward the department store to buy a fancy tent and a cute little pillow.
After over a week of living on the ship and listening to Kashiwagi's explanations, it finally understood that while traveling, sleeping in a princess bed was rarely an option. Mawile felt a bit regretful but decided to compromise: it wanted a beautiful tent and a cute sleeping bag or a small pillow.
Kashiwagi, of course, promised everything.
However, having just arrived in the Hoenn region, he had quite a bit on his to-do list.
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First Stop: The Pokémon Center
In the past, there hadn't been one in Littleroot Town, but with the city's growth, a three-story Pokémon Center had been built.
"Maw-wile..."
Mawile followed Kashiwagi, peering around the surroundings with curiosity. As the standard facility for healing Pokémon, providing lodging, and offering food in the main regions, the interior environment was vastly different from the gritty Orre region or even the Eros Milotic.
The first thing that stood out was how bright and clean it was. And, of course, the presence of Nurse Joy—the heart of the center.
"Maw-wile?"
"Yes, she's also Nurse Joy. Just like the one we saw in Orre."
Kashiwagi picked Mawile up from the floor, set it on a nearby cart, and placed all his Poké Balls onto a tray. "Nurse Joy, could you please perform a routine check-up and register me for the Hoenn League challenge?"
"Of course, please wait a moment."
Nurse Joy wore a perfect smile. She summoned a Chansey nurse to take Mawile and the other balls away, then connected Kashiwagi's phone Pokédex to a computer via a data cable.
"Are you a rookie Trainer?" Nurse Joy asked, sounding a bit surprised as she looked at the level information on the Pokédex.
Kashiwagi nodded sheepishly. "Technically, yes... this is my first time traveling abroad."
"I see! Well, I wish you a wonderful journey and lots of fun challenging the Gyms," Nurse Joy offered with a smile. "If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me here at the Center. The lobby area is where Trainers exchange information; you might hear something valuable there."
"Thank you."
He nodded and found a seat to wait for the check-up to finish, taking the time to observe the scene. From what he could see, the environment in the main regions was indeed peaceful. Most of the Trainers in the lobby were children around ten years old.
A bunch of kids barely five feet tall carrying powerful or cute Pokémon—this wasn't a common sight in Orre, but here, it was the norm. Kashiwagi couldn't help but lean back into the sofa, feeling himself relax.
A short while later, Mawile returned along with the other Poké Balls.
"Lucky~" The Chansey nurse pushed the cart, a bright smile on its face.
"Thank you."
Kashiwagi reached out, intending to pat the Chansey's head in gratitude, but the nurse Pokémon suddenly grew wary. It took a step back, its voice turning stern: "Lucky!"
"Uh..." He felt a bit awkward.
"Hahaha! Patting a Nurse Pokémon without permission is considered quite impolite, you know."
A voice rang out from nearby.
Kashiwagi turned his head and was immediately stunned by the speaker. "Brock?"
The brown spiky hair, tan skin, and the iconic squinty eyes—while slightly different from the 2D animation he remembered, his intuition told him this was definitely the former Pewter Gym Leader.
The world was truly small. First Max on the ship, and now Brock. Was he here at the Pokémon Center to chase a Nurse Joy?
Predictably, the other man looked surprised as well. "Have we met before?"
"Not in person, but I've seen your photos online and records of people challenging the Pewter Gym," Kashiwagi made up a quick excuse. "Also, I heard Max mention you."
"Max..."
A light flickered in Brock's narrow eyes at the mention of his old traveling companion. "You just came off the Eros Milotic? I met with him briefly before he set out."
"That's right."
"Haha! It seems we share some common ground then. However, the Pewter Gym Leader is my younger brother now. I'm currently studying to become a Pokémon Doctor, and this is one of my internship locations... By the way, what's your name?"
"I'm Kashiwagi. I'm from the Orre region."
Kashiwagi extended his hand, and the two shared a firm handshake. In the games, Brock was clearly an adult, looking at least in his twenties, but the anime version was much younger. Looking at him now, he didn't seem much older than Kashiwagi himself.
Thinking for a moment, Kashiwagi asked, "Do you have some free time right now?"
"Is there something I can help you with?"
"I'd like to ask for your advice on raising Rock-type Pokémon, as well as Steelix and Chansey. Max said you were an excellent Pokémon Breeder, and I was hoping to gain some of your experience."
"Oh, you flatter me! But as for breeding advice, I'm a bit tied up right now. If you don't mind waiting until six o'clock when my internship shift ends..."
"I don't mind at all! Thank you so much!"
Kashiwagi had only asked on a whim, but he hadn't expected Brock to actually agree.
"No problem. I'm happy to help."
Brock laughed heartily. He truly was the pillar of Ash's journeys through the first four generations—generous enough to give up his private time to help a total stranger like Kashiwagi.
The two chatted for a bit longer to get acquainted before parting ways.
"Kept you waiting? Let's go buy your things now."
Kashiwagi patted Mawile's head. The Pokémon puffed out its cheeks, looking exactly like a child who had grown impatient while their parent chatted with a friend.