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Ecruteak City—previously mentioned as a historic old town—was the kind of place you couldn't truly understand until you set foot there yourself.
"We finally… made it."
After nearly a week of travel, Liam and Delia at last arrived at the legendary Ecruteak City.
The moment they stepped out of the forest surrounding the town, what greeted their eyes were countless ancient-style buildings.
The architecture was relatively low and modest. Though each building looked somewhat worn with age, that was precisely part of Ecruteak's charm—everywhere radiated an atmosphere steeped in history.
Among these old structures, two towers stood out above all others, their height dwarfing the rest of the city. One was the charred, ruined Burned Tower. The other was the famous Bell Tower, where Ho-Oh was said to have once roosted.
According to Johto's legends, the Burned Tower was originally called the Brass Tower and was dedicated to Lugia, the Guardian of the Seas. But more than a hundred years ago, it was struck by lightning and burned to ashes. Lugia returned to the Whirl Islands, never to appear before humans again. Ho-Oh also vanished. After resurrecting the three Pokémon that perished in that great fire, it soared into the sky and has not been seen in over a century.
As they walked deeper into the city, the uneven bluestone roads beneath their feet carried the weight of centuries. Each step on the ancient stone evoked a quiet, tranquil feeling.
Nearly a week had passed since Liam and Delia left the nature park, and though their journey had been tiring, the rewards had been plenty.
Naturally, battles with other trainers were unavoidable along the way. Delia gained a great deal of battle experience, while Liam rarely took action himself. The few times he did, it was mainly to help Delia in double battles, always letting her take the lead while he provided support.
They also encountered many Pokémon, some of which weren't even recorded in Liam's system Pokédex. He took the opportunity to scan them, earning a fair number of exchange points—enough to help with their expenses. Even after deducting what they'd spent, Liam still had 13,000 points remaining, plenty to last him for quite some time.
It was around noon when Liam and Delia finally reached Ecruteak City. Already a bit worn out, the first thing they did was look for the Pokémon Center to rest before making further plans.
After asking around, they eventually found it—a Pokémon Center built in traditional style.
Like the rest of the city, the Center followed the ancient architectural aesthetic. From the outside, it looked entirely wooden, full of old-world charm. If not for the large Pokémon Center symbol on the roof, Liam never would have guessed what kind of building it was.
"Excuse me, is anyone here?"
When Liam and Delia stepped inside, they found the place strangely quiet. It didn't seem like anyone was there.
Walking up to the front desk, Liam frowned and called out again.
"Is anyone here? Nurse Joy? Nurse Joy, are you here?"
"Bilssey~"
Just then, a Pokémon's cry came from behind a nearby door. In a Pokémon Center, that sound could only belong to a Bilssey.
"Bilssey? Bilssey!!"
The door beside the desk creaked open, and a pink, round shape peeked its head out. The moment it spotted Liam, its expression turned to shock. With a startled cry, the Bilssey darted back inside, leaving Liam and Delia staring at each other in confusion.
"That was… Blissey? Huh… Why do I feel like I've seen it somewhere before? Could it be…?"
The familiar sight of the Blissey sparked something in Liam's memory, and an all-too-familiar face flickered through his mind.
"Hey! What are you doing, Blissey? Don't drag me around! I haven't even finished cooking yet! My sisters will be back any minute—if lunch isn't ready, I'll be scolded for sure!"
As Liam hesitated, a voice rang out from behind the door—this time, one Liam recognized very well.
"Blissey!"
Despite protesting, the stubborn Blissey tugged someone out into view. Then, excitedly, it pointed toward Liam and cried out.
"Eh… Senior Liam?! Senior Delia?! What are you two doing here?!"
The young man Blissey had dragged out finally saw Liam and Delia clearly. His face lit up with surprise and joy.
"Ahem… Axu, long time no see. Delia and I are traveling, challenging the Johto League along the way. But you… this outfit? What on earth are you doing?"
Liam's expression twitched. The boy in front of him was holding a spoon in one hand and long chopsticks in the other, wearing a pink cartoon apron. He barely resembled the Axu Liam remembered.
"Uh… haha, well, this is actually my home. And today it's my turn to cook, so… haha…"
Only then did Axu realize how ridiculous he looked. He glanced down at himself and scratched his cheek with embarrassment.
"Wait, your home?! …I see. I should have guessed sooner. Blissey, Feraligatr, Tyranitar—those aren't Pokémon just anyone could get their hands on. So you're… part of the Joy family!"
Liam finally understood. The reason Xu had such rare Pokémon was because of his background.
"Haha, it's nothing special, Senior. I just have a few amazing older sisters. Blissey evolved from the Chansey my eldest sister gave me. Feraligatr came from a Totodile my second sister gifted me. And Tyranitar was from a Larvitar my third sister gave me. Thanks to their love, I've been blessed with such great partners. I really am grateful to them."
Axu's face turned a little red as he scratched his cheek, but his voice was filled with warmth. It was obvious his sisters meant the world to him.
"Ahhh!"
Suddenly, with a loud crash, the wooden door behind Liam and Delia collapsed. They spun around to see four Nurse Joys in gorgeous traditional dance attire sprawled across the broken door, peeking inside. Each wore a playful smile, gazing at the flustered, red-faced Axu with clear affection.
"Heehee~ Axu~ your sisters are home~"