Cinnabar Island, a tourist destination in the Kanto Region, was also home to Blaine, one of Kanto's veteran Gym Leaders and an expert in using Fire-type Pokémon.
In order to travel to Hoenn, Tetsuya came to this island. As soon as he arrived, he was met head-on by a huge wave of tour groups, and it took considerable effort for Tetsuya to break free from the crowd surrounding him.
He had not come here for tourism, and precisely because a place like this was a tourist and vacation destination, over time it had become like an overcrowded festival market.
Just looking at the beach, it was so packed with people that not even the sand could be seen!
What was the point of traveling here?
---◓---
Avoiding the crowded streets, Tetsuya arrived at the Pokémon Center on Cinnabar.
Unlike in other cities, the Pokémon Center here was instead extremely deserted. People had long since forgotten that there was even a Gym here…
With no one challenging the Gym, naturally the Pokémon Center had become deserted as well. The Cinnabarians had also turned to tourism as their industry, with specialty shops lined up one after another and food stalls packed closely together.
The Pokémon Center, which had once been extremely lively, now seemed somewhat out of place amid such a bustling district.
Moreover, this Pokémon Center was quite large, with its own separate backyard as well as training grounds and a court for Pokémon battles. It could be said to have every facility one could need. Unfortunately, they had all fallen into disuse now.
After Tetsuya went into the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy was sitting behind the counter, dozing off.
It was only a little after seven in the evening…
"Nurse Joy, please get me a room." Tetsuya tapped on the counter as he spoke.
Nurse Joy rubbed her eyes. "All right… Please show me your Pokédex…"
Tetsuya took out his Pokédex, then took out his Poké Balls.
However, Nurse Joy looked very surprised. "Eeeh!? What are these for?"
"…This is a Pokémon Center. Naturally, I'm asking you to give my Pokémon a health checkup," Tetsuya said.
"!!!" Nurse Joy looked very excited. "Waaa~! It's been such a long time since anyone came to this Pokémon Center to have their Pokémon treated!
Plenty of people come asking for accommodations, but without a Pokédex, I can't let them stay here. That's why this place has become so deserted…"
As Nurse Joy spoke, she took Tetsuya's Poké Balls. After verifying his Pokédex, she arranged a room for him.
"Oh, right!" Nurse Joy stopped Tetsuya, took out a card, and handed it to him. She then said, "This is a ticket for a Fire-type Pokémon battle exchange being held by Blaine, the Gym Leader of Cinnabar Gym.
It'll be held three days from now. If you have a Fire-type Pokémon, you can go take a look. Apparently, Leader Blaine will choose the Pokémon with the highest potential and keep it on the Island for a year of focused… training?
Anyway, this is a great opportunity! Not only will you save the cost of nurturing one Pokémon, but it can also get stronger!"
Tetsuya nodded. In truth, this was merely a marketing tactic. It seemed Blaine and Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center had coordinated this together.
Their purpose was naturally to remind people that Cinnabar Island was not merely a tourist destination, but also had an official Pokémon Gym and a Pokémon Center. It could indeed attract some Pokémon Trainers to come here.
…And Tetsuya's Houndoom really did have a reason to participate in this exchange. First of all, Blaine's strength was publicly acknowledged to be at least Elite Four level.
The only Fire-type Pokémon Tetsuya had was Houndoom, which was currently in a stagnation phase. If it had the opportunity to receive Blaine's training, perhaps it might make progress…
Since he had made his decision, Tetsuya was no longer in a hurry to buy an S.S. Ticket to Littleroot Town. Houndoom's training had also become a constant concern for him, something he had never been able to resolve.
Back on Shadow Island, it had already been a "king-like" existence, naturally possessing a drive to become stronger and achieve victory. Therefore, it had always trained hard without ever slacking off in the slightest.
However, Tetsuya's knowledge of Fire- and Dark-type Pokémon was fairly average, so he could not properly help Houndoom get stronger. Therefore, it was best to avoid becoming too involved with Pokémon he did not understand, because catching one could very well delay its growth.
If Blaine could help Houndoom… Tetsuya would definitely fight for this opportunity!
Blaine raised his Fire-type Pokémon at the crater of Cinnabar Island's volcano. Such a special environment could certainly train exceptional Pokémon.
It was said that his Magmar lived in magma year-round, and its body temperature had long since reached a terrifying level. Even Water-type moves could not approach its body because they would already be turned into vapor by the intense heat before getting close. Its power was terrifying beyond belief!
If Houndoom could also develop this kind of feet, its capabilities would definitely undergo a qualitative leap.
---◓---
After sleeping for a night at the Pokémon Center, Trainers began arriving there one after another the next day.
It seemed this really was the effect of Blaine's summons, attracting Pokémon Trainers from all over, including even some who had long since made names for themselves.
The Pokémon Center's backyard was very spacious. Tetsuya had already sent out Houndoom, first having it warm-up. When it came to battles between Fire-type Pokémon, Tetsuya still needed to devise many strategies, especially against Pokémon with the Ability Flash Fire.
Tetsuya's Houndoom also had the Ability Flash Fire, so at the very least, there was no need to fear the opponent using Fire-type moves. When the time came, it would once again be a battlefield of wits and courage.
For two consecutive days, more and more Trainers gathered at the Pokémon Center, keeping Nurse Joy extremely busy.
It even attracted Trainers from other regions, many of whom were fanatical devotees of Fire-type Pokémon.
Many different Fire-types also appeared here, making for a dazzling sight.
---◓---
By the third day, more and more Trainers had gathered at the Pokémon Center, and some conflicts had even broken out. At this point, the Pokémon Center was already packed with people, a world of difference from how deserted it had been three days earlier.
At this point, Tetsuya had no choice but to leave the Pokémon Center and search for a suitable training ground. However, a tourist destination like this was crowded everywhere, making it difficult to find an open area.
'That guy up ahead looks very familiar…'
Tetsuya did not stop walking amid the crowd. He was not someone who liked meddling in other people's affairs.
However, the person behind him rushed straight up. "Hey! Aren't you that Elite Four's student from Johto? It's been so many years. Have you gotten any stronger!?"
Looking closer, Tetsuya spotted someone with fiery red hair swept up, carrying a carefree, irreverent vibe.
He looked very different from several years ago, but Tetsuya knew what he had looked like when he was young and even what he would look like in old age, so naturally he could recognize him…
This was Flint, the future Fire-type Elite Four of the Sinnoh Region!