Damian didn't linger in Mauville City. After leaving the airport and grabbing a meal at a nearby restaurant, he set off for Lavaridge Town.
Lavaridge Town was one of the Hoenn Region's well‑known towns, and also a must‑visit tourist spot for anyone coming to Hoenn.
It was famous for its hot springs.
Supposedly, the scorching hot springs here could heal any illness. No one knew if that was true, but Lavaridge Town had definitely made a name for itself because of them.
Even putting aside the "miracle cure" rumors, the hot springs in Lavaridge Town really were fantastic.
On top of that, Lavaridge Town was also home to one of the Hoenn Region's official Gyms—Lavaridge Gym.
By 2 p.m., Damian and the other two had already arrived in Lavaridge Town.
But something was odd. Right now, there were a lot of people gathered just outside town, and leading them was a young woman with bright red hair. Standing beside her was an Officer Jenny.
Damian recognized her. The redhead was the current Lavaridge Gym Leader, Flannery.
What was going on?
Did the Hoenn League seriously pre‑read his itinerary?
That'd be a joke. Even if the Hoenn League knew he was coming, there was no way they'd send an ordinary Gym Leader to stop him.
"Lord Damian, something's off." Gladion muttered quietly.
Yeah, this lineup really did look strange.
"Mm. But it's definitely not aimed at us." Caitlin gave her own assessment.
Damian thought it over, then smiled and led the two of them toward Lavaridge Town.
Noticing the trio, Officer Jenny stepped forward, expression serious.
"Stop right there!"
Her voice was sharp, wary.
"Who are you?"
"We're travelers from Kanto who just arrived today, Officer Jenny. Is there a problem?" Damian replied innocently.
"Do you have any ID?" Officer Jenny wasn't going to blindly trust them.
"Of course."
Damian took out a Pokédex he hadn't used in a long time. He'd honestly forgotten about it.
He really should've asked Kukui for a Rotom Pokédex. Next time he went to Alola, he'd hit him up for one—maybe pitch a Rotom Pokédex collaboration while he was at it.
No, better to have Lusamine talk to him. Kukui probably wouldn't want to work with Damian personally.
"Sorry, my mistake. Welcome to Lavaridge Town—enjoy your journey."
Officer Jenny checked Damian's Pokédex and quickly apologized to the three of them.
A Pokémon Trainer's Pokédex was, by default, also a form of ID.
"It's fine, I get it." Damian smiled it off.
"Did something happen in Lavaridge Town?" he asked curiously.
"If you need help, Officer Jenny, just say the word. The three of us are all pretty strong Trainers—I'm sure we can be of use."
"Honestly, this is pretty dangerous stuff. I don't want to trouble you."
Officer Jenny hesitated, then still shook her head, politely turning them down.
"It's an evil organization. Not long ago, someone reported that Team Magma and Team Aqua are clashing up on Mt. Chimney. To be safe, we're stationed out here."
A bright female voice cut in—it was Lavaridge Gym Leader Flannery.
"Gym Leader Flannery, that kind of information—"
Officer Jenny shot Flannery a helpless look. She really didn't know what to do with this brand‑new Gym Leader who'd only taken over Lavaridge Gym this year.
"C'mon, Officer Jenny, you're way too reserved. No need to dance around it like that.
If Mt. Chimney's this close and these three visiting Trainers decide to hike up there on their own, then what?"
Flannery said bluntly.
She had a gorgeous head of bright red long hair, a short top that showed off a slim waist, and a tall, curvy figure.
Her vibe screamed hot‑blooded and bold at a glance—obviously an extrovert.
"…"
Officer Jenny was speechless.
"So you're saying Team Magma and Team Aqua are fighting on Mt. Chimney right now?"
Caitlin froze.
Wow. Hoenn's evil organizations really were bold—brawling out in the open in broad daylight?
"That's right. We've already reported it to the Hoenn League. Lavaridge Town's officers are too few; we can't stop them. All we can do is protect Lavaridge Town and the nearby visitors as best we can."
Officer Jenny sounded a little helpless.
These three had only just arrived in Hoenn.
And now this was their welcome.
As a member of the Hoenn Region, of course she wanted visitors from other regions to see Hoenn at its best.
"I see." Damian nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. This was perfect.
"Please head into Lavaridge Town for now. Don't worry, we'll keep you safe."
Officer Jenny's tone was grave.
Hearing that, Gladion's eyelid twitched.
He could still remember all too clearly: back in Celadon City, a woman with basically the exact same face had slapped cuffs on him and told him to behave.
And now here she was promising she'd protect him.
Gladion really didn't know how to react.
"No need to trouble yourselves. Since we've run into something like this, we can't just sit back as Trainers and pretend we didn't see." Damian smiled.
"Whoa, that's so cool!"
Flannery's eyes lit up. "Handsome, I, Flannery, approve of you!"
"Flannery! That's enough! Stop fueling things."
Officer Jenny snapped, and Flannery immediately shrank her neck.
"Sir, please calm down. I understand your sense of justice, but that's a dangerous evil organization, so—"
"Evil organization? Beating up evil organizations is my favorite thing."
Damian's lips curled up. Before Jenny could finish, he turned and headed straight toward Mt. Chimney.
"No need to say more, Officer Jenny. Relax—Mt. Chimney will be peaceful again soon."
"He's way too cool! Handsome, I'm coming with you!"
Flannery burned with enthusiasm, rushing after the three.
An evil team to fight? As Lavaridge Town's Gym Leader, she couldn't possibly sit this out!
"Get back here!"
She'd barely taken a few steps when an iron grip clamped around her arm and yanked her back.
"Officer Jenny?!"
"Flannery, what did you promise your grandpa? Protecting Lavaridge Town is your job!"
Officer Jenny's tone was strict enough to give anyone a headache.
Flannery's head throbbed. She really couldn't handle Officer Jenny.
"I'm just worried about those three Trainers."
"You don't need to worry about them. They're… not normal people."
Officer Jenny's sharp brows furrowed slightly.
She couldn't say for certain, but from their aura, their words, and their bearing, she could make a rough guess.
Those three were not ordinary.
Some people really did stand out at a glance—you could just see they were strong.
Just like that boy leading the other two.
They had to be very powerful Trainers.
Mt. Chimney—a dormant volcano over 1,500 meters tall, and one of the Hoenn Region's famous attractions.
Even though it hadn't erupted in years, Mt. Chimney's volcanic ash still drifted down on a regular basis.
"We really are lucky."
Damian hadn't expected it to line up this nicely. First day in Lavaridge and he'd already run into Team Magma and Team Aqua going at it.
Right now, at the volcano's summit—
Large groups of people in red uniforms and blue uniforms were all locked in battle. Near the crater's edge—
"Ahahaha～ you're really strong. No wonder you wanted to stick your nose into Team Magma's business. Guess you really do have some skills."
A girlish voice—sweet but edged with madness—echoed in the air.
A slender, tan‑haired girl with a sweet face frowned as she looked at the laughing Team Magma Admin across from her.
The Admin wore a tight red sweater dress that hugged her hips, a red hood over her head. Her face was delicate and pale, violet eyes sultry and striking.
Her round, pale legs gleamed almost blindingly below the deep red of her outfit, and she wore a pair of long boots.
She was Team Magma Admin Courtney.
"What are you laughing at?"
May felt like this pretty woman across from her was seriously unhinged.
She'd just beaten Courtney's Camerupt—and the woman was still laughing?
What kind of psycho was this?
"Heehee～ because you're adorable.
You're so… disgustingly strong it makes me want to throw up."
Courtney tilted her head, that pale, lovely face stretching into a chilling smile.
Her voice was incredibly distinctive—soft and girlish, a treat for the ears—
But May did not agree.
Goosebumps crawled over her skin. She really didn't know how to describe it—Courtney's smile just felt… wrong. It creeped her out.
"What are you even talking about?! Hmph! Villains like you—none of you are getting away today!"
May couldn't let herself lose on momentum. She glared stubbornly at the woman in red.
"Too cute.
You really are too cute, brat. You did win today—but Team Magma's plans aren't something a little kid like you can stop. So remember this, okay?"
Courtney's grin widened.
"Oh? Can I ask for more details? About these Team Magma 'plans' of yours?"
A clear male voice suddenly cut in, full of obvious amusement.
"Mm?" Courtney and May both turned toward the sound.
Three figures were walking toward them.
"Ara ara～ looks like we've got a few more big shots dropping by."
Courtney's crazed smile slowly faded as her eyes narrowed, her expression cooling.
She'd seen it.
Behind the three newcomers, a griffin‑like Pokémon was carrying a thin, weak‑looking man on its back—
But Courtney recognized him. That was Team Aqua Admin Amber.
Amber was this Mt. Chimney operation's commander for Team Aqua.
And he'd been beaten—and was being hauled around like a dead dog?
Courtney didn't like the look of this at all.
These three surprise guests were clearly no pushovers.
Plus there was this disgustingly strong little brat.
May stared at the trio curiously. She hadn't expected anyone else to have made it up Mt. Chimney.
Good. Looked like she wasn't fighting alone.
"Didn't expect to get this lucky right off the plane."
Damian tilted his head, looking back and forth between Courtney and May, but his gaze ultimately settled on May.
She had a fresh, adorable face, a red‑and‑white headband tying up her hair, and a trim, shapely figure.
Her tight camisole drew clean lines around a nicely developing chest and a slim waist.
Below, she wore white hot pants, with black safety shorts peeking out from underneath.
This was the third‑gen heroine—May.
And standing in front of May was a Swampert radiating powerful aura.
Oh? Game‑version May, huh.
Damian raised a brow, his mind immediately flashing to that iconic scene from "Pokémon Evolutions."
May's Mega Swampert nearly punching Rayquaza's soul clean out of its body.
~~~
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