Eric sat in the VIP lounge of the Saffron City airport, waiting for his flight to be called. He pulled out his phone, which was currently buzzing non-stop.
He opened the League App and tapped into "The Gossip Club" group chat.
Green: "Just bagged my fourth badge! How are the rest of you slacking off?"
Blue: "Four? I'm already on my way to Fuchsia City for my fifth. Try to keep up, Green."
Belle: "The Great Belle Pirates just beat up a giant rock snake! Captain Sparky is invincible!"
Red: "..."
Green: "Red, this has gone long enough. For the love of Arceus, stop responding with dots!!"
Eric read through the messages, a faint smile on his face. Despite being scattered across Kanto, they were all advancing at a terrifying pace. It was a good motivator. He tapped the screen and sent a quick message.
Eric: "I'm heading to Sinnoh."
The chat went dead for a solid ten seconds.
Green: "Wait, what? Sinnoh?! Why?"
Blue: "Sinnoh, eh? I've been meaning to go there as well for something."
Belle: "Wow! Bring Belle back a cool Sinnoh souvenir! Maybe a penguin!"
Eric scrolled through the messages and was just about to put down the phone when he got a private text from Blaire.
Blaire: "Hey kid. Saw you're heading to Sinnoh. Are you leaving today?"
Eric: "Flight is in an hour."
Blaire: "Perfect timing. Mind doing me a favour? I need a parcel delivered to a Professor Carolina in Celestic Town. It's an old colleague of my mom's. I would send it via League couriers, but... given recent events, I'd rather hand it to someone I trust."
Eric stared at the screen.
Professor Carolina.
He knew exactly who she was. As a massive Pokémon fan in his past life, the name immediately triggered a series of memories. But it wasn't the sweet, elderly researcher of Sinnoh mythos that made his heart skip a beat.
It was her granddaughter.
Cynthia.
Just thinking the name caused a faint, phantom piano melody to echo in his head, the absolute dread-inducing boss theme that had terrorized his childhood during his first playthrough of the Sinnoh games. Her Garchomp was the stuff of nightmares for underprepared trainers.
To think he might actually get to meet the future Champion of Sinnoh...
A mix of excitement and deep, ingrained caution swelled within him. Meeting Cynthia now, while she was still developing, would be an incredible opportunity to gauge the strength of another apex prodigy.
Eric: "I'll do it. Send it over."
Blaire: "Thanks. I owe you one. I'll have a family courier drop it off at your terminal in ten minutes. Safe travels, kid."
True to her word, a man in a crisp suit arrived shortly after, handing Eric a small, heavily secured titanium lockbox. Eric slipped it into his spatial watch just as his flight to Sinnoh was announced over the intercom.
He boarded the massive, luxury aircraft, settling into a first-class window seat. As the plane taxied down the runway and smoothly lifted into the sky, leaving the sprawling metropolis of Saffron City behind, Eric felt a surge of anticipation.
---
A few hours later, the plane touched down.
Eric stepped out of the Jubilife City airport and took a deep breath. The air here was noticeably cooler and crisper than the humid, smog-laced winds of Kanto.
Jubilife City, often called the City of Joy, was a marvel of modern infrastructure. Just like Saffron was for Kanto, Jubilife was sleek, vibrant, and bursting with media and technology. Massive holographic billboards projected Pokémon Contests and news broadcasts from the towering Jubilife TV building. The streets were immaculately clean, lined with cutting-edge tech stores and high-end cafes.
Eric casually walked down the bustling avenue, taking in the sights.
"Come on out, you two," Eric said, unhinging two Poké Balls.
Growlithe and his newest partner, Shinx, materialized on the pavement. Growlithe immediately barked happily, sniffing the cool air, while Shinx looked around with wide, golden eyes.
Even though he had never been here, Shinx felt right at home with the climate of Sinnoh.
"Welcome home, buddy," Eric smiled, tossing them both a small piece of a basic Poke block.
He spent the first two hours doing nothing but acting like a typical tourist. He let his two youngest Pokémon stretch their legs, keeping them close as they navigated the crowded streets.
His first major stop was the towering Pokétch Company building.
The Pokétch, or Pokémon Watch, was Sinnoh's signature piece of trainer tech. He wasm't interested in buying it as he had the system, but he was curious to see it in real life.
After spending some time there, he headed to the famous culinary district of Jubilife. Sinnoh had its own unique food culture, completely different from Kanto's. He found a high-end bakery specializing in Poffins, baked goods specifically tailored to enhance a Pokémon's condition and coat.
While Poke blocks were superior for raw energy and core development, Poffins were excellent for physical maintenance and mood enhancement. He bought a massive batch, letting Growlithe and Shinx gorge themselves on sweet and spicy Poffins while he enjoyed a bowl of hot Sinnoh-style ramen.
"We have a long trip ahead," Eric murmured, looking at the regional map on his phone.
Celestic Town, where he needed to deliver Blaire's parcel, was located deep within the central mountain ranges of Sinnoh, enshrouded by fog and ancient history. And Eterna Forest, the place where Haunter would finally evolve, was along the way.
Well, he wasn't in a rush.
Eric looked out at the towering skyscrapers of Jubilife City, the neon lights reflecting in his calm, focused eyes.
"Let's see what Sinnoh has to offer."